Hicksville Water District Hosts Second Annual Pharmaceutical Take Back Day

October 31, 2022

Hicksville, N.Y. (October 27, 2022)—The Hicksville Water District (HWD) hosted its second annual Pharmaceutical Take Back Day on October 22, encouraging residents to dispose of unused and expired medications in their homes through a safe, contactless drive-thru event. The event provides the community with a safer alternative to flushing these medications down the drain, which can ultimately force them to end up in our water supply. Altogether, residents came out to dispose of approximately 100 pounds of pharmaceuticals, allowing them to not only protect our water, but also to get these potentially harmful materials out of their homes.

“A significant aspect of the Hicksville Water District’s ability to provide our residents with the highest quality of water available is protecting our supply,” said HWD Chairman Nicholas Brigandi. “Pharmaceutical Take Back Day empowers our community to help us along in that mission, as it enables them to dispose of their unused medications in a safe and simple manner. Not only does this prevent these potentially dangerous substances from entering into our water supply, but it also helps residents get them out of their homes as winter approaches. We thank our neighbors for coming out in support of this event and we greatly look forward to seeing them again next year.”

The improper disposal of medications poses a threat to Long Island’s single-source aquifer, as it opens up the possibility of foreign contaminants entering our water supply. One of the most common forms of improper disposal of these substances is flushing them down the drain or toilet, putting them on the fast track to contaminating our water and forcing water providers to increase the amount of treatment needed in order to make water safe for human consumption. Residents actively take a stand against this by participating in events such as the District’s Pharmaceutical Take Back Day.