Tennessee American Water, Hamilton County Coalition & Others Announce Upcoming Drug Take Back
Several Regional Sites Make It Convenient to Drop Off Medications
Chattanooga, Tenn. (April 17, 2023) – Tennessee American Water is encouraging residents to participate in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time zone. Customers are encouraged to drop off unwanted medications at approved regional collection sites for incineration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended manner of disposing most pharmaceuticals. Flushing medications down the toilet and throwing them in the trash are discouraged.
The biannual Drug Take Back provides residents the opportunity to rid their homes of expired, unused, and unwanted medications. Residents may simply drive to one of the 15 area drop-offs on April 22nd, to properly dispose of the medications free and anonymously.
Lori Stenzel, Tennessee American Water manager of water quality and environmental compliance, explains, “Everyone can be a good steward of our natural water resources which are the source of our drinking water. Participation in drug take back is one way we can help protect our environment and waterways.”
Regional Drug Take Back Day collection sites can be located here on the website of Tennessee American Water’s partner, the Hamilton County Coalition. Participating counties include Hamilton, Sequatchie, Rhea, Grundy, and Marion. Counties in the central time zone will hold their drug take back events from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time.
“The Hamilton County Coalition is pleased to offer this program with law enforcement agencies and a number of partners,” says Camilla Bibbs, executive director of the Hamilton County Coalition. “It’s important for us to keep these items not only out of our landfills and water supplies, but also out of the hands of our youth. We work to raise awareness of proper disposal of items in your home that could be potentially misused.”
Through partnership and collaboration with the Hamilton County Coalition, local pharmacies, environmental stewards, police departments and government agencies, Tennessee American Water helps to bring awareness to the proper disposal of medications to prevent misuse and abuse of medications while protecting local water sources.
Residents who are unable to participate Saturday are encouraged to use local, permanent community pharmaceutical sites. Year-round prescription dropbox locations can be found on the Hamilton County Coalition’s interactive map.
Tennessee American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 380,000 people in Tennessee and north Georgia. For more information, visit www.tennesseeamwater.com and follow Tennessee American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
About American Water
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs approximately 6,500 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to an estimated 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Chattanooga, Tenn. (April 17, 2023) – Tennessee American Water is encouraging residents to participate in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern time zone. Customers are encouraged to drop off unwanted medications at approved regional collection sites for incineration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommended manner of disposing most pharmaceuticals. Flushing medications down the toilet and throwing them in the trash are discouraged.
The biannual Drug Take Back provides residents the opportunity to rid their homes of expired, unused, and unwanted medications. Residents may simply drive to one of the 15 area drop-offs on April 22nd, to properly dispose of the medications free and anonymously.
Lori Stenzel, Tennessee American Water manager of water quality and environmental compliance, explains, “Everyone can be a good steward of our natural water resources which are the source of our drinking water. Participation in drug take back is one way we can help protect our environment and waterways.”
Regional Drug Take Back Day collection sites can be located here on the website of Tennessee American Water’s partner, the Hamilton County Coalition. Participating counties include Hamilton, Sequatchie, Rhea, Grundy, and Marion. Counties in the central time zone will hold their drug take back events from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. local time.
“The Hamilton County Coalition is pleased to offer this program with law enforcement agencies and a number of partners,” says Camilla Bibbs, executive director of the Hamilton County Coalition. “It’s important for us to keep these items not only out of our landfills and water supplies, but also out of the hands of our youth. We work to raise awareness of proper disposal of items in your home that could be potentially misused.”
Through partnership and collaboration with the Hamilton County Coalition, local pharmacies, environmental stewards, police departments and government agencies, Tennessee American Water helps to bring awareness to the proper disposal of medications to prevent misuse and abuse of medications while protecting local water sources.
Residents who are unable to participate Saturday are encouraged to use local, permanent community pharmaceutical sites. Year-round prescription dropbox locations can be found on the Hamilton County Coalition’s interactive map.
Tennessee American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 380,000 people in Tennessee and north Georgia. For more information, visit www.tennesseeamwater.com and follow Tennessee American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
About American Water
With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs approximately 6,500 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to an estimated 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and diversityataw.com. Follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.