Belleville, Ill. (March 22, 2011) – Illinois American Water has partnered with the City of O’Fallon and the O’Fallon Police Department to implement a pharmaceutical disposal program in O’Fallon. Illinois American Water donated the pharmaceutical drop box, which will be installed with a kick off event at the O’Fallon Police Department, located at 285 North Seven Hills Road in O’Fallon on Thursday, April 6, 2010, at 2:00 PM.
Residents are encouraged to drop off their unwanted meds so they can be incinerated, which is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended approach for pharmaceutical disposal. Flushing medications down the toilet or the drain as well as throwing them in the trash are discouraged.
“This program is a great opportunity for O’Fallon residents to stop by the Police Department and securely drop off any unused or expired medications,” said O’Fallon Mayor Gary Graham. “It’s important for us to keep these items out of our landfills and water supplies.”
The O’Fallon pharmaceutical disposal program is the 19th program supported through Illinois American Water’s initiatives. “Our goal is to establish a greatly expanded network of secure pharmaceutical collection centers throughout the state,” said Grant Evitts, operations manager for Illinois American Water’s Interurban District.
Through partnership and collaboration with local pharmacies, police departments and government officials, Illinois American Water has implemented and supported pharmaceutical disposal programs across the state including three drop-off locations in Peoria as well as sites in Alton, Bartonville, Belleville, Caseyville, Champaign, Chillicothe, Collinsville, Fairmont, Maryville, Pekin, Peoria Heights, Pontiac, Streator, Urbana and Waterloo.
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The pharmaceutical disposal programs were created through a model developed by Pontiac High School Township students and their teacher Paul Ritter. The program, P2D2, has been recognized by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Natural Resources as a model for all pharmaceutical disposal programs. In addition, the Drug Enforcement Agency supported efforts nationally with the first-ever National Take Back Day in September of 2010. Through all of these efforts, thousands of pounds of unwanted medications have been properly disposed. To learn more, please visit www.epa.state.il.us/medication-disposal.
About Illinois American Water
Illinois American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.
Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately
15 million people in more than 30 states, as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.
In 2011, American Water is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a yearlong campaign to promote water efficiency and the importance of protecting water from source to tap. To learn more, visit www.amwater125.com.
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