A Prescription for Clean Water and Drug-Free Streets

The spring cleaning process is under way for many families and as local resident clean out their homes this year, officials are encouraging them to also carefully and safely dispose of unused medications.

The , in partnership with the Bristol Water Department and , will host their annual medication disposal drive on April 28. The event is open to residents from Southington, Bristol, Burlington and Wolcott for medication drop-off at the water department between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“We held the event the last three years and it has been growing larger each year,” said Southington Water Department Acting Superintendent Fred Rogers in a press release. “We got a lot of great feedback from the residents coming through the event and were able to collect thousands of medications each year.”

Southington Councilman John Dobbins, a pharmacist by trade, said it’s easy to overlook medications that aren’t used anymore. He said in helping his parents with spring cleaning efforts last week, they found prescriptions dating back as far as 1989.

Although they have made efforts in the past to clean out their home, it’s easy for prescriptions to be placed aside and forgotten about.

“As families begin to clean up for the season, we encourage everyone to take their prescriptions to the disposal program on April 28,” he said.

This free event is an opportunity for everyone to clean out their medicine cabinets and bring all expired and unwanted medication (prescription, vitamins, over-the-counter and veterinary) for proper disposal. 

All medicine will be disposed of properly by incineration and no medicine will be reused or resold. Thermometers, needles or medical waste of any type will not be accepted, Dobbins said.

“The program is a regional effort to help protect our drinking water supplies and make sure they are safe for future generations,” said Bristol Superintendent Robert Longo. 

All medicines returned should be in their original bottle with the name and address of the patient crossed off with a permanent maker. If you do not have a marker one will be provided at the event. Be sure to leave the name of the medication visible for the pharmacist’s review.

Participants will be asked a few general questions, such as town of residence, why the medication is no longer wanted and how did you hear about this event. No personal information will be requested.

The program will not only help keep Bristol and Southington’s drinking water clean, but will also help protect the health of our children and the environment, said Southington Police Sgt. Lowell DePalma.

“The medications we receive are a few less drugs that could end up being sold and abused on the street,” he said.

For more information, please contact the Southington Water Department at (860) 628-5593 or the Bristol Water Department at (860) 582-7431. Information can also be found on the Bristol Water Department website at www.bristolwaterdept.org.