Water School

While water treatment plants can remove some chemicals, at this time, wastewater systems are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals.  At this point, the best way to reduce the number of chemicals in our water is at their source.

Pharmaceuticals enter the water cycle through a variety of sources including drugs that pass through the human body or domestic animals that are not completely absorbed and byproducts of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process.

Additionally, improper disposal of old or unneeded drugs at homes or medical facilities is another factor that is probably the easiest to change. Federal officials encourage people with unwanted or leftover drugs to not flush them or throw them away, but instead take advantage of local drug take-back or hazardous waste collection programs.