Watersheds

Against a backdrop of national headlines over the massive and spreading oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that appears to have no end, regional headlines over the city main break that left two million residents in the greater Boston area having to boil their drinking water, it was a weekend where water quality was very much in the news.

Including here on the Vineyard, where water was the main topic of discussion during the two-day event sponsored by National Geographic that included panel discussions, a book release, concert and film preview. One of the featured speakers at the Sunday concert was Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of the late Jacques Cousteau, the famous explorer and ecologist. Ms. Cousteau is preparing to embark later this month on a fourteen-thousand-mile expedition across North America to explore and raise awareness about the many issues that surround one of our most precious resources: water.

It all adds up to a stark reminder that the Island is a very lucky place where clean drinking water is in plentiful supply, and surface waters in both fresh and saltwater ponds remain free from pollution. Indeed, a group of family clammers on Lake Tashmoo were surprised to find last weekend that the flats had been closed due to the planting of contaminated shellfish, brought over from the mainland for cleaning in the pristine salty waters of the lake that empties into Vineyard Sound. That shellfish program has been well established for a number of years.

Still, when it comes to clean water nothing can be taken for granted, as the residents of Oak Bluffs were reminded last fall during the brief boil-water episode due to sudden contamination by fecal coliform in the public water supply. The exact cause of the contamination was never determined.

So what can we do to prevent future calamities? We can be vigilant in guarding our precious clean water here on the Island, by strictly monitoring and enforcing the laws that prohibit discharge of pollutants into the groundwater, by making no-interest loans readily available for homeowners of modest means who need to upgrade their septic systems, and by widespread education about the environmental perils of using pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Our grandchildren will thank us for it.