This is a great time to understand where your water comes from and what's in it so you can properly protect its quality. DrinkTap has a lot of information to help you.

Your water comes from one of two places - it's surface water or groundwater. You can visit DrinkTap's "Your Local Water" webpage to find out where your water actually comes from. Once again, understanding where your water comes from helps you to protect its quality.

Another important part of protecting water quality is keeping it free from pollution. Here are helpful tips taken directly from DrinkTap's "Water Pollution" webpage that should be reviewed:

• always sweep your driveway to keep it clean, rather than hosing it off;
• use a commercial car wash — cleaning your car at home flushes dangerous chemicals down the storm drain and directly into our lakes and streams;
• pick up after your dog;
• dispose of used motor oil properly - one quart of motor oil can contaminate more than 250,000 gallons of water;
• don’t overuse pesticides or fertilizers as they can travel through runoff and soil and contaminate ground water;
• help pick up litter on the streets that could end up going down the storm drain or seeping into our waterways;
• use detergents that are phosphate-free to save our lakes and streams;
• join in a beach, stream, or wetlands cleanup project; and
• properly dispose of prescription medications and other products that are too often flushed down the toilet, into the wastewater system and out to the environment. Consult with your local health department for information on proper disposal in your community.

And finally, to make sure you're getting the best quality water, it's important to educate yourself about what's in your water. Visit DrinkTap's "What's In My Water?" section to learn more.

Happy National Water Quality Month!