Skip to main content
PROPER DISPOSAL OF PERSCRIPTION DRUGS
Office of National Drug Control Policy, October 2009
Federal Guidelines:
- DO NOT FLUSH perscription drugs doen the toilet or drain unless the label accompanying patient informationspecifically instructs you to do so. For information on specific drugs that should be flushed visit www.fda.gov.
- If a drug take-back or collection program is not available:
- Take your prescription drugsout of their original containers.
- Mix drugs with undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
- Put mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty butter tub, or into a sealable bag.
- Conseal or remove any personal information, including RX number, on the empty containers by covering it with a black marker or scratching it off.
- Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, IN THE TRASH.
(Additional Resources: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov / www.fda.gov / www.epa.gov)
SANITARY SEWER TROUBLE
Don't Flush Trouble!
- These items belong in the trash can! While the label may say "flushable", they can cause major problems for your plumbing system as well as the sewer system. Help us keep these potentially harmful items out of the sanitary sewer system.
- Any type of cleaning wipes (facial,chemical, etc.)
- Any form of grease (cooking, auto, etc.)
- Feminine hygiene and birth control products
- Prescription medications, or illegal drugs
- Kitty litter, or absorbent pet pads
- Tissues, paper towels, newspaper etc.
- Diapers, plastic bags
- Cotton swabs, floss, hair
Think trash, not toilets!
These things should NOT be connected to the sanitary sewer system:
- Footing/ Foundation / Roof Drains
- Downspouts
- Basement Stairwell / Driveway Drains
- Basement / Crawl Space Sump Pumps
- Any other source of rain water
- Inflow and Infiltration or I&I, are terms used to describe the ways that groundwater and stormwater enter into dedicated wastewater or sanitary sewer systems. Inflow is stormwater that enters into sanitary sewer systems at points of direct connection to the systems. Various sources contribute to the inflow, including footing/foundation drains, roof drains or leaders, downspouts, drains from window wells, outdoor basement stairwells, drains from driveways, groundwater/basement sump pumps, and even streams. These sources are typically improperly or illegally connected to sanitary sewer systems. A single sump pump can contribute over 7,000 gallons of water to sanitary sewer systems in a 24 hour period. Sanitary sewer systems are designed to carry wastewater from toilets, dishwashers, sinks, or showers in homes or businesses. When clear water enters sanitary sewer systems, it must be transported and treated like sanitary waste water. I&I costs treatment facilities and consumers large amounts of money in treatment operating expenses and higher utility bills.
