The Port Washington Water District will host its seventh annual Pharmaceutical Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the district’s 38 Sandy Hollow Road headquarters.
The annual event, established in 2018, provides Port Washington Peninsula residents with a safe way to dispose of expired or unused prescription drugs. Proper disposal helps prevent pharmaceuticals from contaminating the community’s water supply and posing risks to human health.
“Our Pharmaceutical Drug Take-Back Day is one of the many ways the district works hand in hand with the community to protect our water supply,” said Water Commissioner Mindy Germain. “We welcome residents to visit our headquarters and safely dispose of their unused prescriptions so these harmful substances do not enter our water system.”
Improper disposal of medications can introduce contaminants into groundwater and increase the need for costly treatment. Flushing medications or pouring them down the drain can allow residues to enter soil or pass through wastewater treatment plants, which are not designed to remove pharmaceutical compounds. Safe disposal helps protect the community’s aquifer and preserve the long-term quality of its drinking water.
“Each year we have hundreds of residents attend our Pharmaceutical Drug Take-Back event, and we typically collect more than 400 pounds of medications,” said Chairman David Brackett. “We’re an environmentally conscious public utility, and this effort proves that individual actions can create a lasting impact on the health of our water and our community.”
Water Commissioner Peter Meyer added, “To make this successful, we’ve made it easy for residents to simply drive into our parking lot and drop their medications into a secure collection bin—all within less than a minute. It’s quick, convenient and hassle-free.”
At the close of the event, the Port Washington Police Department will ensure that all collected medications are safely transported to a certified disposal facility.
The Port Washington Water District is partnering with several local organizations and municipalities, including the Port Washington Police Department, the Town of North Hempstead, the Villages of Flower Hill, Baxter Estates, Port Washington North and Manorhaven, the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, ReWild Long Island, the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee and Residents Forward.
Sharps, including syringes and needles, cannot be accepted at the event. For more information about the program or how to safely dispose of prescription medications, visit www.pwwd.org.
