Regional water utility officials in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin are encouraging area residents to dispose of their unused drugs during National Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, September 29.

The nationwide event, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), runs from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at many local law enforcement offices and other locations across the country. To find a location near you, click here, view this searchable map, or call 1-800-882-9539.

The DEA’s focus is removing unused and sometimes illegal, regulated drugs from circulation, but one of the main side benefits of safe drug disposal is preventing medicines from being poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet and entering streams and rivers used for drinking water.

Metropolitan Washington has a number of ‘Take Back’ locations for people to take advantage of this program,” said the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s Jim Neustadt, who serves as Chair of the COG Community Engagement Campaign of regional water supply and wastewater officials. “If you can't make it to a ‘Take Back’ site, please dispose of your unused medicines and drugs properly and don't flush them down the toilet. We applaud the DEA's efforts.  For those of us in the water industry, it is another opportunity to keep potential contaminants out of the water life cycle.”

Click here for more information on how to dispose of pharmaceuticals properly.