We’ve all heard about successful efforts to clean up the Hudson River, once a toxic soup unfit for human, or fishy, life. But our rivers and oceans still need some basic municipal improvements:

Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, shared her viewpoint that there are solutions available—the problem is that they are not being enacted.

“We can send astronauts to the moon and a probe to Mars, and yet we haven’t decided to filter storm water to protect our beaches and bays,” said Esposito. “There are a myriad of new design techniques and low tech options that offer meaningful storm water filtration advantages. The simple truth is that most municipalities have not made beach protection a priority.” ~ The Epoch Times

Things are getting worse, apparently, not better.

Here’s 10 Things you can do to Keep it Clean:

1. Be a good steward at the beach.
2. Clean up after your pet.
3. Conserve water.
4. Direct runoff to the soil, not the street.
5. Don’t pour hazardous products down the drain.
6. Maintain your septic system.
7. Practice proper lawn & garden care.
8. Practice proper marine and recreational boating waste disposal.
9. Support local, state & federal legislation that promotes the cleanup of pollution sources.
10. Learn about the water quality at local beaches & choose your beach carefully.

For more, read this article re our friends at NRDC, Graham Hill of Treehugger, etc.