What NOT to flush...

A girlfriend called me the other day and jokingly said she needs to drink more water as an antidote to her moodiness, because of all the prescription drugs that they are finding in drinking water.

Now clean water is no joking matter, but before you get too alarmed, let me share some information I learned from a recent Washington Post article.

It's true that a handful of studies have shown that trace amounts of drugs like ibuprofen and antibiotics have been found in drinking water, including D.C. water, but the director of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies reports that this stuff has probably always been there we are just getting better at detecting it.

The fact remains that what we produce as humans we can't just "throw away" or "flush" it away --it stays with us.

Tips:
*Don't flush it. Most municipal wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to filter out pharmaceuticals. Trashing them is a better option, but still not ideal because they could seep into the groundwater. Another suggestion is to place coffee grounds with them in the original container and seal it carefully and then throw it away. Another option call your local pharmacy annd as if they have a take-back program in place.

*Don't switch to bottled water. Tap water still has more stringent standards than most of the water that ends up in the bottles sold at the store. Not to mention the carbon footprint of bottled water from Figi and the accompanying waste produced during manufacture of the bottle.

*Lead as healthy a life as you can, only taking medication when necessary.

Best,
BWB