County officials approved a study Tuesday morning that will look
into what can be done to prevent pharmaceuticals from reaching
local water supplies.
County officials approved a study Tuesday morning that will look into what can be done to prevent pharmaceuticals from reaching local water supplies.
Another study will also explore how to best dispose of biological waste and keep drinking water optimally treated.
One method considered is to collect excess and unused medication to prevent it from being dumped in toilets where it might survive waste treatment plants.
The study is a follow up to a bill passed last year by state lawmakers which required government agencies to collect unused prescription drugs, which prevents teenagers from abusing them.
San Mateo has collected 585 pounds of medications in the first four months of its similar program.
According to a recent study by the Associated Press, more than 40 million Americans swallow traces of prescription drugs when drinking tap water. The medications tend to wind up in the water supply when residents flush leftover prescriptions down the toilet or when they discard excess pills in the trash, where chemicals can leach into the water supply. Supervisor Ken Yeager, who proposed the study, hopes the county can establish drop-off points where residents can safely dispose of prescription drugs.
“Without easy access to safe medication disposal methods, these drugs may find their way into our groundwater, reservoirs and home faucets,” Yeager said in a press release. “Not only are these medications bad for the environment, they also threaten the public’s health.”
