HERE IN RENO WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE CLEAN, tasty drinking water. But what happens to the water we use, and how does our daily routine at home and work affect the environment?

Our purchases and our actions directly impact water quality in the Truckee River and Pyramid Lake. First, rain and snow create urban runoff that carries with it oil and gas from our cars, fertilizer and weed killers from our lawns, and trash from our streets. These contaminants and solids go directly into the river by way of gutters and storm drains.

Second, the water we flush through our pipes carries with it thousands of different chemicals and gets re-deposited into the river after it goes through the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility for treatment. Most of these chemicals are removed during treatment, but the presence of organic compounds, salts, and pharmaceuticals poses a difficult challenge for plant operators as well as for fish and wildlife.

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED ABOUT THE STUFF THAT ENDS UP IN OUR WATER SUPPLY?

HERE IS A PARTIAL LIST

• Soap, shampoo, and lotion
• Sunscreen and insect repellant
• Detergents, cleaning agents, and bleach
• Hairspray, make-up, and perfumes
• Toothpaste and mouthwash
• Food and grease
• Toilet paper, tampons, and condoms
• Rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide
• Medicine and vitamins
• Pain killers, aspirin, ibuprofen
• Antibiotics, hormones, and other prescription drugs
• Paint and paint thinner
• Oil and gasoline
• Heavy metals and industrial waste
• Toxic pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides

The quantity and complexity of these solids and chemical compounds puts a heavy burden on the treatment facility and affects water quality downstream. The treatment plant can handle most of the debris, but the collective chemical stew requires advanced treatment. Water received at the facility goes through multiple processes — physical, biological, and chemical — before it is returned to the Truckee River at its discharge point in Sparks. The water looks different after treatment because it has been sanitized and because its chemical makeup has been altered. In the end, water from the plant is not deemed potable.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Choose products without phosphates, dyes, fragrance, or toxic chemicals. If the box has warnings about skin contact, eye contact, or inhalation, then you can bet it is not safe for pets or wildlife.
• Use less water for household chores.
• Just say “no” to insecticides and weed killer. Do the manual labor instead and watch as the birds, bees, ladybugs, and butterflies return to your yard.
• Sweep your porch instead of rinsing it off.
• Skip the garbage disposal. Scrape uneaten food into the trash instead.
• Try using a minimum amount of soap, shampoo, and detergent.
• Never pour unused products such as paint, anti-freeze, bleach, solvents, or poisons down the drain. Instead, dispose of these items properly. Call RenoDirect at 334-2099 to ask about Reno Clean and Green.