Medications No Cure For Watershed

The fourth annual Medication Return Program is scheduled for Saturday and is expected to collect bagloads of unused medicines for disposal. The free event is open to residents from Southington, Bristol, Burlington and Wolcott for medication drop-off at the between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Expired or unwanted prescription medicines, vitamins, veterinary and over-the-counter drugs will be collected for incinerator disposal. John Dobbins, R.Ph., a pharmacist and member of the Sewer Committee and Town Council, leads this program and says it's important for people to realize the consequences of dumping materials. 

"It's very misleading to think a septic system is okay for dumping because the nature of leeching fields and how waste is broken down is dependent on the health of microbes. Chemical waste destroys life and septic systems are costly to replace," said Dobbins.

"There is a three-step process to properly dispose of materials," Dobbins said. "Volunteers separate drugs into categories of regular and controlled substances which police take possession of. Every pill is counted with a machine and then logged for record-keeping. Because disposal is paid for by weight, anything that is cardboard packaged is shredded, and is another way the event is 'keeping it green.' Tablets, capsules and liquids are separated because liquids burn at different temperatures. Lastly, inhalers or anything with propellants is treated as combustible."

Items that will not be accepted are thermometers, needles and medical waste of any type.

Proper disposal of medical waste is relevant to Southington's treatment plant. According to Water Pollution Control Superintendent John DeGioia, Southington is currently operating under a permit that doesn't measure for phosphorous and that status needs updating. The question is at what levels?

A national Clean Water Act program overseen by federal Environmental Protection Acency is requiring four municipalites whose plant permits are up for renewal — Southington, Cheshire, Meriden and Wallingford — to adhere to strict requirements that would reduce phosphorus levels to 0.2 milligrams per liter in an effort to clean up the Quinnipiac River within a five-year period. 

The four towns formed a coalition and were recently joined by the Town of Plainville to work together to negotiate with the the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection on how the limits are set by EPA. 

"We're dedicated to being environmentally proactive," said Town Manager Garry Brumback. "To restore the water basin to what's been described as 'pre-colonial conditions' may be too far-reaching both ecologically and financially. We'd like to strive for interim limits of 0.7 milligrams per liter that will enable us to participate in the science of improving water quality for the Quinnipiac River."

The cost to the town for 0.7 milligrams per liter limits would be approximately $50,000 vs. $20 million or more for phosphorus-level goals of 0.2 milligrams per liter. 

For more information on water quality standards, click on the 2011 report by Rapid Bioassessment in Wadeable Streams & Rivers by Volunteer Monitors Program (RPV). For information on phosphorus, see Quinnipiac River Watershed Association's position paper 'The Problem With Phosphorus' by Mary Mushinsky, Science Educator, for Quinnipiac River Watershed Association.

Correction: John Dobbins is a member of the Sewer Committee. He is not a member of the Public Works Committee, as was stated in the original article.