2. Keep your septic system working properly - Have your system inspected by a professional every three years and have it pumped every three to five years. Flush responsibly - don't flush items that can clog the works or household chemicals that can destroy the biological balance of the system. Download the U.S. EPA's free Homeowner's Guide to Septic Systems for more information.

3. Be smart when washing your car - Soap, dirt, and oil wash down your driveway and into nearby stormdrains, which flow directly to our local waterbodies. Use soap sparingly and wash your car over the lawn, or better yet take it to a commercial car wash that reuses and treats water.

4. Keep wildlife wild and don't feed the waterfowl - Feeding them results in large quantities of concentrated bird waste that pollutes our local bodies of water. It is also bad for the birds because it results in poor nutrition, overcrowding, delayed migration, and unnatural behavior.

5. Pick up after your pet - Pet waste is full of bacteria that can make people sick, and cause the closing of our swimming beaches and shellfish beds. Scoop up and dispose either in the toilet or in a sealed plastic bag in the garbage. Never dump it into a stormdrain, or it will end up in our local waterbodies without treatment.

6. Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle, keep it well maintained, and drive it less often - Vehicles generate oils, grease, heavy metals, antifreeze, and other pollutants that are transported from the roads to the storm drains when it rains. The pollutants then wash directly to our local water bodies, usually without any treatment.

7. Become a volunteer water quality monitorer - Consider joining NSRWA's River Watch monitoring programs or one of our Stream Teams.

8. Use water wisely - Save water in all areas of your home by stopping leaks, using water-efficient appliances, practicing smarter lawn irrigation, and collecting rainwater in rain barrels for landscaping. Learn more at http://www.h2ouse.org.

9. Think before you pour - Hazardous products poured down household drains and street basins eventually lead to bodies of water, without being properly treated. Call the South Shore Recycling Cooperative at 508-785-8318 to find out how to dispose of household hazardous waste and used auto fluids safely in your town.

10. Support your local watershed association - Become a member of the NSRWA and/or help us by volunteering! We need your help to protect environment and the quality of life in our region.

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