Because our region depends on surface and groundwater for most of our water supply, it is important to safeguard those sources from pollution and contamination.
Surface water, which makes up nearly half of our water supply, is present above the ground and includes lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, seas and oceans. Groundwater is below the ground and includes underground aquifers.
Tampa Bay Water is dedicated to protecting the quality of the public’s source water. Doing so ensures the protection of public health, the environment and the public’s investment. It also ensures clean, safe water sources for future generations.
The safest way to dispose of household chemicals and hazardous waste such as paint, motor oil, fertilizer and pesticides is to take them to your local county recycling center. This prevents the chemicals from making their way into our water supplies.
The safest way to dispose of old medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, is to take them to a local take-back location. This prevents the medicine from falling into the wrong hands and helps keep the hormones and chemicals they contain from seeping into the sources of our drinking water. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs thrown in the trash, poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet can end up in landfills, pass through wastewater treatment systems and end up in rivers, Tampa Bay or the Floridan aquifer, which serve as the sources of our drinking water supplies. All County Sheriff’s Departments in Tampa Bay Water’s service area have permanent, secure drop-off locations for unneeded or unwanted medications.
