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By KARA O'CONNOR

Villager Staff Writer


WILTON -- Prescription drug usage is on the rise, and the next place these drugs could end up is in your drinking water, according to one Wilton official.

Pat Sesto, director of environmental affairs in Wilton, said there is a concern about prescription drugs contaminating water in the area because of the drastic rise in usage over the past couple of years.

"Most of the stuff is just out there in the regular community, and it is necessary to get rid of these drugs, both prescription and over the counter, from a social and environmental standpoint," said Sesto, who presented her concerns to the Board of Selectmen on Monday.

In 2007, 2 million teens abused prescription drugs, and each day, 2,500 initiate abuse, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Sesto said it has been well documented in Europe and more recently in the U.S. that water discharged from waste water treatment plants contains residue from prescription drugs, either excreted from humans or from unwanted medications that are flushed or rinsed down the drain.

"There are a lot of prescription drugs in the environment and they are seeping into the ground water and sewage treatments," said Sesto. "The problem here is that sewage treatments are not equipped to deal with medications, they just aren't designed to treat them."

Sesto said the environment is already being affected by prescription drugs. In area rivers, fish are showing drastic changes in their sex organs, which is being effected by the hormonal balance in the water due to drug residue, she said.

"Fish are showing they have both male and female sex organs on an individual fish," said Sesto. "Fish do have the ability to change sexes, but they shouldn't have the same sex organs on one fish. This is a change that is caused directly from excess drugs in our environment."

Even though Wilton residents are served primarily by wells, water contamination is still something to worry about, Sesto said. Harbor Watch/River Watch has found drug residue in the Norwalk River and where the mouth of the river meets the Long Island Sound, said Sesto.

"If drugs are showing up in groundwater, ponds and streams, then it is logical to be concerned that these drugs can also be present in our well water," she said. "We have to be concerned about what is in our own backyard."

On May 1, Wilton Environmental Affairs and the Wilton Conservation Commission are offering a medication turn in day, where residents will be able to drop off their over-the-counter and prescription medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Comstock Community Center.

"There is a clear correlation between ground water contamination and prescription drugs," said Sesto. "We need to be proactive and not wait for something to hit. There is no harm in collecting drugs, so why wait. This can only be good

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