Five easy ways to love your rivers this Earth Day

As Earth Day approaches, simple changes to traditional springtime activities at home can help protect local streams and rivers.

Earth Day (April 22) is a good time to remember that we all live in a watershed – an area of land where the runoff from rain drains to waterways. As water travels over the land’s surface, it carries any pollutants on the land to nearby streams.

“This spring, Missouri American Water recommends five easy, Earth-friendly actions at home to protect the Missouri and Meramec Rivers -- the sources of our area’s drinking water,” said Frank Kartmann, President of Missouri American Water.

• Consider native plants for Spring gardening. Native plants support wildlife, preserve our natural diversity and require no fertilizer or herbicides.
• Don’t over-apply lawn chemicals and avoid application immediately before it rains. Consider testing soil to better understand your lawn’s needs before adding chemicals.
• Remember that storm inlets drain to rivers. The water that washes down storm drains goes directly to streams and rivers. Don’t dispose of trash, oil or chemicals in the street.
• Dispose of unneeded medicines safely. Missouri P2D2 sponsors prescription drug collection boxes at 14 St. Louis County police stations. The program is safe, free and anonymous. Visit www.missourip2d2.org for site locations.
• Stop by the St. Louis Earth Day celebration, Sunday April 26 at the Muny grounds of Forest Park, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Explore ideas for environmentally-friendly living at one of the largest Earth Day festivals in the U.S. Missouri American Water is a sponsor of the Recycling Extravaganza, which accepts hard-to-recycle items at the nearby St. Louis County Community College, Forest Park campus. Visit www.stlouisearthday.org for more information.

Missouri American Water

Missouri American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.5 million people.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in more than 45 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

Missouri American WaterAnn DettmerCommunications ManagerT - 314-996-2356C - [e-mail]