Stopping or reducing the use of harsh chemicals is the best way to protect our waters from harmful chemicals. When chemicals enter a body of water, the side effects could be disastrous and leave many of the organisms within the ecosystem in very difficult conditions. After a downpour, when water runs down streets, or after you wash your car, runoff water carries toxic chemicals from your street and yard that could eventually leach into our waterways. Sweeping trash instead of clearing it from the driveway/walkway will reduce the amount of unwanted items entering the water system. When washing your car, use a bucket instead of a hose. Having permeable outdoor surfaces such as gravel, as well as landscaping, minimizes runoff, but landscaping can also have a negative effect. For example, elements in fertilizers such as phosphorus and nitrogen encourage the growth of algae when introduced into a body of water, which kills existing aquatic life in the area. Toxins also affect humans to some extent. There is a high probability that if you do not have a well located several hundred feet below the surface, then you have been exposed to many toxic substances that have been dumped into the ground and into our waterways for many years. Dumping untreated human waste, various chemicals and other toxic materials into waterways can permanently damage them. “Fluoride (a highly toxic poison) is added to almost every municipal water supply during water treatment, which is harmful to your health. Europeans have known for many years that fluoride is toxic and have long since eliminated it from their water supplies, but it is still used in the United States” (Mercola). Some bodies of water “die” from the pollutants they endure. They become unable to support any of them