National Water Quality Month

Small actions have a big impact

All the water we have on earth right now is the same water that was around when the dinosaurs lived. Water is the most heavily recycled item on earth and it is essential for life. The cleaner we keep our water, the less we have to do to treat the water before it's safe for drinking and the healthier our environment is. People, plants and animals all thrive when our water is clean, so join in and make some simple adjustments to have a big impact on the quality of the water in our community.

Easy Actions

• Pick-up Litter
• Clean-up after your dog
• Properly dispose of chemicals
• Learn more about how these help at McKinneyTexas.org/UrbanWater

Use native & adapted plants in your landscape

• Native & adapted plants need less water because their roots run deep to find water.
• Native & adapted plants need fewer chemicals to grow because they naturally thrive in our challenging climate.
• Native & adapted plants help local wildlife thrive by providing food and habitat. Take the example of the Monarch Butterfly.
  • Monarch butterflies will only lay their eggs on Milkweed plants. Don't let the name fool you, there are many types of Milkweed plants with a variety of blossoms that rival any flowering plant.
  • Monarchs are endangered due to the lack of Milkweed plants along their migration route. Find out what McKinney is doing to help the Monarchs.
  • Track down all of the Butterfly Sculptures in the Monarchs of McKinney series and post your photos on social media #McKinneyMonarchs!
• Native & adapted plants have a deeper root system that is better at filtering out chemicals from rainwater.
  • That's right, those wildflowers along the highways are more than just decoration! They're working hard to offset the chemicals that fall on the roads from our vehicles and runoff during a rain event.