Answer: Our waterways are routinely being threatened when medications are flushed down a toilet or washed down a drain. Waste water treatment plants are not designed to remove many of the chemicals that make up today’s pharmaceuticals. Trace amounts of estrogens, anti-depressants, anti-epileptics and other pharmaceutical compounds are being detected in our streams and rivers.
The District periodically sponosors Unwanted Pharmaceutical Collection events where all types of medications are accepted for proper disposal. The District has partnered with the Hendicks County Substance Abuse Task Force to provide opportunities for 2010. Please see Unwanted Pharmaceutical Collections for more information.
If a collection event is not available, the next best disposal option is to render the drug unpalitable, seal it in a container or plastic bag and hide it in your normal household trash. Disposing of these medications in a landfill is much better than introducing them into the waste water treatment system.
