If I wouldn’t put it in the bathtub with my kids, I don’t want it in our waterways.

So, whether its runoff from agriculture, pollution from septic tanks, herbicides like glyphosate or any other kind of water pollution, our top priority needs to be stopping it at the source.

That’s why I just helped introduce a bipartisan bill to combat water pollution called the Local Water Protection Act. This legislation would promote public health and defend our environment.

Here’s how:

In Florida we have one of the most complex water systems in the entire world, and as a result of the rapid development over the last century, nonpoint source pollution is now proliferated by rainfall moving through agricultural land that was once the natural water filtration system for the Everglades. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into Lake Okeechobee, our estuaries, wetlands, coastal waters, the Everglades and more.

This bill will increase funding for projects to prevent this pollution. For example, the bill would fund the creation of wetland basins, dredging out legacy pollutants, converting septic tanks to sewer systems, installing new water pump stations, implementing real best management practices, restoring already impaired waterways, mitigating the impacts of the effects of channelization of a waterway like the Kissimmee and more.

These are all critical projects that can make a real difference for our waterways to stop the pollution at the source. Coupled with revised operational priorities for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and increased funding for Everglades Restoration infrastructure, I am confident that this bill will help us turn the page on this awful period of government sanctioned and man-made poisoning of our communities!

Later this week, our bill will be considered by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, so I will be sure to keep you updated. In the meantime, you can read the bill here: