August is National Water Quality Month

The ability to use clean water daily is an integral assumption which discussing the effectiveness of the splashing technique and the Erno Laszlo ritual. In fact, Dr. Laszlo was quoted as saying, "If water did not exist, as a cosmetologist I would have to invent it." Thus, we feel it's important to note that August is National Water Quality Month.

It is a federal law that each year, by July 1st, every homeowner must be sent a Consumer Confidence Report detailing the types and amounts of the contaminants found in your local water supply in the past calendar year. Some of the more common contaminants include:

* microbes
* radionuclides (radioactive minerals)
* inorganic contaminants
* cryptosporidium
* giardia
* arsenic
* lead
* benzene
* uranium

Although some of the items on that list may sound frightening, at low levels, their presence in your water is not threatening. However, it is in the spirit of responsible home-ownership that they should be monitored. Of course, if you rent, you are still entitled to the same information. Ask your landlord for a copy of the report, or search for it on the internet/in the local newspaper.

Finally, it is important to note that although you are entitled to information regarding the last calendar year, it is up to you to test the current cleanliness of your water. The report should be used as a jumping-off point to determine if testing should be warranted.

Fun August Facts

Everybody knows that in the United States, Independence Day is celebrated on the Fourth day in July. The reason for this is simple - the date forever stamped onto the Declaration of Independence is July 4, 1776. Logic would stand to reason that all 56 signatories of the document did so together on that date. This would be erroneous! That date merely represents the date on which the wording of the Declaration was approved by the members of Congress. It was not until nearly a month later, on August 2, 1776, that the majority of the signatories signed the document.

Also, the month of August wasn't always the eighth month of the year. Until 735 BC, it was actually the sixth month of the year in the Roman calendar. It only ended up in its current spot because Romulus decided that two additional months were needed to round out the year - January and February.

Lastly, August is said to be the time when birds start to "plan" their migrations south, and when insects are the noisiest that they can possibly be. Glad we don't have to worry about that in New York!