While the warm days continue throughout the tail end of summer, August holds National Water Quality Month which highlights the importance of clean water. 

Dallas County Health Department Public Information Officer Ann Cochran says water has become more of a big deal as the drought this summer has pointed to the importance of water in smaller, more rural communities as some places in the U.S. have even implemented water usage restrictions. 

“The Environmental Protection Agency founded National Water Month back in 2005. The emphasis then and now is on access to clean drinking water for future generations. They point out that even though water makes up over 70-percent of the Earth’s surface area, the total amount of freshwater found on Earth only makes up around three-percent of the water supply.”

Cochran tells Raccoon Valley Radio some of the freshwater is difficult for us to get access to, which lowers the already small amount of freshwater available. 

“It’s important for all of us to think of ways that we can reduce waste of water and also how do we keep the water clean, what can we do to make sure that our children and grandchildren will get to enjoy fresh water?”

For more information on National Water Quality Month you can go here.