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Water is our lifeblood. It was at the headwaters of the San Antonio River that Spanish missionaries established San Antonio. Over the last century, mechanical pumps brought rivers from beneath the ground into use, allowing for dramatic growth. But karst aquifers like the Edwards under San Antonio are extremely vulnerable to pollution released above ground. And the Edwards also provides habitat for a range of unique (and federally protected) creatures. In recognition of these challenges, the San Antonio Water System is in a race to expand the city's water resources as our population continues to grow.

Confused About Water Restrictions? Here's a Primer:

STAGE ONE
Use of irrigation systems limited to once per week, the assigned day determined by zip code. Washing cars by hand is also limited to assigned times. Watering landscape by handheld hose is allowed at any time, but residents may not hose down driveways or sidewalks.

STAGE TWO
All State One restrictions say in place, while approved times for sprinklers and irrigation systems tighten to 3-8 a.m. and 8-10 p.m. on assigned days. Watering by handheld hose still allowed at any time.

STAGE THREE
Stage One and Two restrictions remain in effect, while sprinkler and irrigation is allowed only once every two weeks between 3-8 a.m. and 8-10 p.m. on assigned days. Limits on drip irrigation systems in place.

STAGE FOUR
Declared at discretion of the City Manager with additional restrictions determined by the City Council.

For more information about drought restrictions in San Antonio, visit the SAWS website.

Tips on Water-Saving Practices

• Take a look at the Drought Recovery Toolkit from SAWS.
• Get to know the Edwards Aquifer and why it's important to San Antonio.
• Reduce water use by swapping out your toilet, tightening up on leaks, and planting native, drought-tolerant plants.
• Mulch flowers, shrubs, and trees with 3 inches of mulch.
• Get a $175 rebate from SAWS and CPS Energy for a new Tier 3 washing machine.
• Turn the irrigation controller from automatic to manual.
• Use drip or hand water only.
• Reduce your overhead. Get FREE shower heads and faucet aerators from SAWS Customer Service Centers.
• Swear off those plastic water bottles (yes there's a good reason!) and invest in a reusable bottle instead.
• Get a free water audit to find where you can shore up on unintended water waste.

Heavy Rains End Drought for Texas

January 8, 2010 · The worst drought to strike Texas in the last 50 years has broken, ending a year-and-a-half dry spell in which farmers and ranchers suffered devastating losses, climatologists and agronomists said this week. Heavy rains since September have replenished reservoirs, filled stock tanks and quenched huge expanses of parched earth across Central and South Texas, where state officials estimate that farmers and ranchers suffered losses of around $4 billion. [Source: New York Times] -more-

Tide Of Arab-Turk Tension Rises Amid Water Shortage

January 8, 2010 · The headwaters of the Middle East's great rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, originate in Turkey, which controls flow of the waters to the Arab world downstream. A three-year drought has devastated Syria and Iraq, fueling resentment against the Turks. -more-

Mideast Water Crisis Brings Misery, Uncertainty

January 7, 2010 · The Middle East is facing its worst water crisis in decades. For three summers, the annual rains have failed to come. Farmland has dried up in Iraq, Syria, southeast Turkey and Lebanon. The dire conditions are creating a new phenomenon: water refugees. -more-

Will The Next War Be Fought Over Water?

January 3, 2010 · Just as wars over oil played a major role in 20th century history, a new book makes a convincing case that many 21st century conflicts will be fought over water. -more-

South Texas Farmers, Ranchers Suffer Difficult 2009

December 29, 2009 · Texas AgriLife Extension Service officials say 2009 was an extremely difficult year for the state’s agriculture producers. At various times this year, farmers and ranchers suffered from drought, flood, fluctuating energy costs, high feed costs and low commodity prices for milk. [Source: San Antonio Business Journal] -more-

Byproducts Of Urban Life Smother Chesapeake Bay

December 24, 2009 · Despite 25 years and billions of dollars spent on cleanup efforts, the Chesapeake Bay remains one of the country's most polluted waterways. With waste of all kinds, each of the almost 17 million people living in the watershed contributes to the pollution. -more-

Manure, Fertilizer Part Of Chesapeake's Problem

December 23, 2009 · The federal government has been fighting pollution of the Chesapeake Bay, the nation's largest estuary, for 25 years. But harmful nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, continue to flow into its waters — and they're often traced to nearby fertilizer - and manure - laden farms. -more-

Texas Water Districts May Join Gorces to Buy Oklahoma Water

December 15, 2009 · Irving officials could join forces this week with an unexpected ally in their ongoing bid to bring Oklahoma water to North Texas. The Tarrant Regional Water District is interested in securing an agreement for some of the water the Irving City Council plans to buy from Oklahoma's Hugo Lake. The council will consider the idea at a special meeting Thursday. But many hurdles must be crossed before any water flows across the Red River. Both Texas entities still have to prevail in their separate lawsuits challenging Oklahoma's restrictions on out-of-state water sales. The irony of the latest idea is that the two parties were once at odds in their approach to buying Oklahoma water. [Source: Dallas Morning News] -more-

Obscured By War, Water Crisis Looms In Yemen

November 20, 2009 · News from Yemen has been dominated recently by an escalating rebellion along the border with Saudi Arabia. But the country has been making news for decades because of its severe overuse of a rapidly disappearing water supply, the result of natural and political causes. -more-

Balancing Water Needs of Aquifer's Many Users

November 17, 2009 · Water restrictions put in place during this year's drought are nothing compared with those of the future if management of the Edwards Aquifer is not changed, scientists say in a new report. In a worst-case scenario, pumping from the aquifer would have to be cut by as much as 97 percent during a drought to ensure the survival of endangered species dependent on flows of the Comal and San Marcos springs.[Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

San Antonio's Drought Offically Over

November 9, 2009 · City Manager Sheryl Sculley said Monday that the drought has officially ended in San Antonio. The declaration affects customers of both San Antonio Water System (SAWS) and Bexar Metropolitan Water District (BexarMet). Water levels at the Edwards Aquifer J-17 monitoring well had to stay above 660 feet for 30 days in order to lift San Antonio out of Stage One restrictions, according to the city’s ordinance. [Source: San Antonio Business Journal] -more-

San Antonio Water System Might Bring Desalination Plant to Gulf Coast Region

November 3, 2009 · A water desalination plant might be in the Gulf Coast's future, San Antonio Water System officials said Tuesday.

SAWS representatives presented plans for the proposed plant, which is still in its developmental stage, to about 65 people at the Victoria Economic Development Corporation's Victoria Partnership meeting.

With a growing population and an increasing industry base, water consumption will increase in the future, said Joseph Rippole, SAWS' project engineer for water resources. In fact, a 50-year water management plan indicates that, from 2035 to 2060, San Antonio will need more than 75,000 additional acre feet of water annually, he said. [Source: Victoria Advocate] -more-

Project over aquifer's recharge zone OK'd

October 16, 2009 · In the first major aquifer-related case of Mayor Julián Castro's administration, the City Council reluctantly — but unanimously — cleared the way Thursday for a multiuse development on the Steubing Ranch, a 389-acre tract of land on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. [Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

River Authority Tells Rice Farmers That Less Water Might Be Available

October 14, 2009 · For about 100 years, members of the Gertson family have farmed rice in these parts of Southeast Texas, working long, humid days in spring and fall to harvest crops that eventually feed people across the country and overseas.

But next year, Ronald Gertson, 50, said he is likely to cut back his planting by two-thirds because of the drought that continues to grip Central Texas.

The Lower Colorado River Authority could soon ask the state environmental agency to declare the current drought worse than the one in the 1950s, also known as the drought of record. Although September and October have been wet months, Lakes Travis and Buchanan, the main reservoirs in Central Texas, remain far below normal. [Source: Austin American-Statesman] -more-

Fall Rains Ease Drought in South Texas

October 9, 2009 · A week of fall rains brought major relief to parts of south Texas hardest hit by extreme drought and improved the state's overall condition, a federal drought map shows.

About 6.8 percent of Texas, all in the southern and central parts of the state, is classified under the most extreme two categories of drought, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's drought monitor map released Thursday. That's down from 12.3 percent last week but higher than the 3.6 percent a year ago. [Source: Associated Press] -more-

Problems Plague Hudson Cleanup

August 25, 2009 · After years of delay, the clean-up of the Hudson River is off to a rocky start. Critics say the federal government's massive Superfund project is leaking too many toxic PCBs into the air and water. -more-

Acid In The Oceans: A Growing Threat To Sea Life

August 12, 2009 · Carbon dioxide isn't just affecting our climate, it is also increasing the acidity of our seas. Scientists worry that corrosive conditions will harm marine life, and could change our oceans in ways they're just now starting to understand. -more-

Desperate Believers Turn to Saint for Rain

August 11, 2009 · Farmers in South Texas can't raise their crops, so they are bowing their heads. An extended drought has led to a dire situation that transcends meteorology. They are praying to God for the most basic of necessities: water. [Source: KENS5] -more-

Tri-State Water Fight Spurs Questions On Growth

August 7, 2009 · A federal judge recently ruled that Georgia doesn't have the right to take drinking water from the Lake Lanier reservoir, but that is where 3.5 million Atlanta residents get their water. Now, some wonder whether the area can continue to grow without it. -more-

Drought Packs a Double Whammy

August 2, 2009 · Fields of dirt have become the Coastal Bend harvest. The lack of rain in the past 10 or so months killed most of the plants before they broke through the surface. Those that did manage to grow had short stalks with little production. This year’s drought has further stressed farmers who haven’t fully recovered from a devastating drought three years ago. [Source: Corpus Christi Caller-Times] -more-

Which Water is Tap Water?

July 31, 2009 · Hundreds of people turned out for "Waterworks," a collaboration between the San Antonio Museum of Art and Texas Public Radio. The event, sponsored by the San Antonio River Authority and the Edwards Aquifer Authority, promoted water conservation through art, music and education.

The focal point of the evening was "Waterflow," an exhibit featuring pieces from Texas artists who were inspired by water. However, our blind taste test proved to be a very popular activity.

Attendees were asked to determine which, out of three samples, was regular tap water. The choices included bottled water from France, bottled water from Texas and, of course, the water that comes out of your kitchen faucet everyday.

The results were surprising.

Sample "A" was tap water from the Edwards Aquifer, and eighty-five people correctly identified it as such. Sample "B" was French bottled water, yet forty-eight people thought it was tap. Finally seventy-four people guessed that Sample "C," which was local bottled spring water, was tap water. Overall, one and a half as many people thought bottled water came from the tap.

Why is this important? First, these results suggest that water from the Edwards Aquifer is as good as bottled water sold in stores. Second, drinking tap water saves money and is better for the environment. There is no plastic bottle to throw away and clutter our landfills, and drinking the water beneath us produces less greenhouse gasses than shipping water from halfway around the world.

Next time you need to quench your thirst, reach for the faucet instead.

Drought Rough on Course Operators

July 29, 2009 · Like other golf-course operators in South Texas, John Clay finds himself routinely scanning the heavens, praying that whatever scant cloud cover is overhead will dump desperately needed rain on his Woodlake Golf Club property. [Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

Drought Bringing a Bitter Harvest

July 22, 2009 · When George West-area rancher Rosalee Coleman says she doesn't think things could be worse, she may be on to something. She had to sell all the cattle she ran on acreage in nearby McMullen County in May because the drought had withered the land's forage and dried up its water. [Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

Officials Fish for Solution for Trinity River, Poisoned with PCBs

July 19, 2009 · An abandoned river runs through the city. Because it is abandoned – because you can stand on the levee at Westmoreland Avenue or Hampton Boulevard for an hour and see no one teaching a child to fish, no one floating on an inner tube on a summer afternoon, no one just sitting and thinking – people do not think much about what reaches the river with each rain. [Source: Dallas Morning News] -more-

'Once-In-A-Century' Drought Sending Campers Indoors and Stunting Crops

July 11, 2009 · North Texas has had average rainfall this year, and three "cool" days this week felt like Christmas in July. But don’t tell your friends in Central and South Texas, because they are feeling hot, parched and bothered.

A "once-in-a-century" drought is baking a big swath of Texas, says John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist and a professor at Texas A&M University.

The drought is "zeroing out" crops and forcing ranchers to liquidate their herds. It’s also crimping summer recreation. [Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram] -more-

'Water Cops' Patrol L.A. For Violaters

July 6, 2009 · California is in the midst of one of its worst droughts in decades. Residents of Los Angeles are banned from watering their lawns during the day and can only use sprinklers twice a week. To enforce the laws, the L.A. "Water Conservation Team" has taken to the street in Priuses to find water offending scofflaws. -more-

17 Miles Of Maine's Kennebec River Restored

July 1, 2009 · It's been 10 years since the federal government ordered the Edwards Dam on Maine's Kennebec River to be torn down. Regulators had decided that the public would be better served by a free-flowing river than the tiny amount of electricity produced by the dam's hydro plant. Removing the dam has changed the environment — for the better. -more-

Temps, Water Levels Worry Texans

July 1, 2009 · Each day without rain, the sparkling water of Medina Lake recedes farther from the homes at its edge, forcing those who take a dip to traverse a dusty moonscape of rocks and docks left high and dry. [Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

Air Force Touts Kelly Water Cleaning

July 1, 2009 · Air Force officials said they've reached a milestone in removing groundwater pollution at the former Kelly AFB, where they're finishing work at two major sites. The Air Force has spent more than $280 million on cleanup at and around the base, and still has a commitment to spend another $40 million. Officials said they've made huge progress, working with federal and state agencies and contractors that use new technology to draw pollutants out of the ground. [Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

Yampa River Runs With Possibility And Protest

June 22, 2009 · Tucked into the northwest corner of Colorado, the river flows freely today but is in hot demand. A powerful energy company, western cities and recreation advocates all want to lay claim to it. -more-

Ohio's Burning River In Better Health 40 Years Later

June 22, 2009 · Forty years ago, Ohio's Cuyahoga River, which had been compared to "an open septic tank," caught fire. Cuyahoga became a rallying cry for environmentalists and sparked the creation of the EPA and the Clean Water Act. Now the river teems with fish and wildlife. -more-

Water Cops Try to Cork the Waste

June 21, 2009 · One week after Stage 2 water restrictions went into effect in Bexar County — for the first time in three years and amid a drought that has lasted several seasons — local water agencies have responded by dispatching enforcement squads.[Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

New Power Plant Drain on Rivers Sparks Debate

June 21, 2009 · New power plants planned along the lower Colorado River could use the same water supply that was denied San Antonio for future growth. The driving force is simple. Power shortages are forecast for Texas’ future — shortages that power companies are rushing to meet with new plants. But experts, environmental groups and others are beginning to question whether there is enough water available to serve the massive facilities. [Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

Conflict Brews over Recharge Development

June 11, 2009 · San Marcos City Council members voted 6-1 last week in favor of annexing 22.5 acres of aquifer recharge land on which out-of-town developers intend to place 40 units of townhomes and two lots of neighborhood commercial buildings. City land use plans call for low density on the annexed tract, located about a mile northwest of Post Road near Spring Lake Preserve.

Of the eight individuals who spoke during public comment, only ETR Development Consulting co-founder Thomas Rhodes asked the council to vote for annexation. [Source: NewsStreamz San Marcos] -more-

Recycling 'Gray Water' Cheaply, Safely

June 8, 2009 · A severe drought in the nation's West continues to threaten farms, fish and water supplies. Tighter water restrictions are in effect in much of southern California. There are efforts in the state to legally reuse tons of gray water each year. That is the waste water from showers, baths, sinks and washing machines. -more-

Water Wars Out West: Keep What You Catch!

May 31, 2009 · Colorado recently made it legal for some homeowners to capture and collect the raindrops and snowflakes that fall on their roofs. That had been considered stealing because the water would flow into a stream or aquifer, where it belonged to someone else. -more-

Face-Off Over 'Fracking': Water Battle Brews On Hill

May 27, 2009 · Environmentalists and the natural gas industry are getting ready for a battle in Congress over "fracking," which involves injecting water and chemicals underground to pry out gas. Environmentalists want the federal government to regulate the practice because, in some cases, fracking may be harming nearby water wells. -more-

Without Meters, Fresno Water Beyond Measure

May 26, 2009 · California is tight on water, but you can't control what you can't measure — and Fresno has no meters. Perhaps that's why residents of the city use nearly three times as much water as the national average — more even than Las Vegas. -more-

A California Town Squeezes Water From A Drought

May 25, 2009 · When Bolinas, Calif., nearly ran out of water, the town came up with a plan — cut household usage to 150 gallons per day, half the average U.S. home use. The whole town pitched in, including the kids. Late rains saved the water supply, but it was only a reprieve. -more-

Climate Change, Water Shortages Conspire to Create 21st Century Dust Bowl

May 14, 2009 · Dust storms accelerated by a warming climate have covered the Rocky Mountains with dirt whose heat-trapping properties have caused snowpacks to melt weeks earlier than normal, worrying officials in Colorado about drastic water shortages by late summer.

Snowpacks from the San Juan Mountains to the Front Range have either completely melted or will be gone within the next two weeks, said Tom Painter, director of the Snow Optics Laboratory at the University of Utah and a leading expert on snowmelt. [Source: New York Times] -more-

Shifting Tides in Goliad County Uranium Mining Lawsuit

May 12, 2009 · The fight by Goliad County and residents against uranium mining just became more divided.

A vocal family, which for a year cried foul, dropped its name from a federal lawsuit.

Then, two county commissioners voted Monday to accept a settlement offer to end this expensive, oft-nasty battle.

Despite the turn of events, the lawsuit will go forward. Three members of the commissioners court, or the majority, voted that same day to fight it out. [Source: Victoria Advocate] -more-

Drought, Politics Trouble Farmers In California

May 11, 2009 · California is in its third year of drought, and many farmers in the state's crop-rich Central Valley are looking at dusty fields, or worse, are cutting down their orchards before the trees die. Hardest hit is Westlands, where much of the nation's fruit, nuts and produce come from. -more-

Iowa to Spend $455 Million Cleaning Up State Waters

May 10, 2009 · Iowa is about to launch its biggest assault ever on river and lake pollution - a $455 million campaign.

After decades of struggling to address serious pollution problems, the state now has an unprecedented pool of state and federal money to solve some of its worst water-quality problems, said Charles Corell, the water chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

One of the biggest impacts: improved sewage treatment and septic systems in the 500 towns and rural subdivisions that don't have any. [Source: Des Moines Register] -more-

Legal Fight Over Water Deal Might Be Brewing

May 6, 2009 · Local water officials believe their counterparts in Austin are in breach of contract for actions that put the Colorado River's water out of San Antonio's reach.

The San Antonio Water System made the declaration at its board meeting Tuesday, setting up mediation and, potentially, a legal battle with the Lower Colorado River Authority.

"I think unfortunately we don't have a choice," SAWS Chairman Alex Briseño said. "We feel that we have been wronged."[Source: San Antonio Express-News] -more-

EPA Seeks Rules for Utilities' Runoff

May 5, 2009 · Faced with new evidence that utilities across the country are dumping toxic sludge into waterways, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving to impose new restrictions on the level of contaminants power plants can discharge.

Plants in Florida, Pennsylvania and several other states have flushed wastewater with levels of selenium and other toxins that far exceed the EPA's freshwater and saltwater standards aimed at protecting aquatic life, according to data the agency has collected over the past few years. While selenium can be beneficial in tiny amounts, elevated levels damage not only fish but also birds and people who consume contaminated fish. [Source: The Washington Post] -more-

Severe Texas Drought Threatens Coastal Wildlife

April 21, 2009 · A severe drought gripping Texas is causing unusually salty conditions along the Gulf Coast, upsetting the region's ecological balance and threatening coastal wildlife including oysters, crabs and whooping cranes, the most endangered crane species.

The drought is one of the driest on record for Texas and is currently the worst in the U.S., which has seen persistent dry weather across several Western states, Florida and even Hawaii, according to academic and government monitors. The scarcity of rain has reduced fresh-water flow from rivers and streams into coastal marshes, estuaries and bays that normally dilute the salt content of water from the Gulf of Mexico. [Source: The Wall Street Journal] -more-

Rivers Shrinking: Flow of Many Rivers in Decline

April 21, 2009 ·The flow of water in the world's largest rivers has declined over the past half-century, with significant changes found in about a third of the big rivers. An analysis of 925 major rivers from 1948 to 2004 showed an overall decline in total discharge.

The reduction in inflow to the Pacific Ocean alone was about equal to shutting off the Mississippi River, according to the new study appearing in the May 15 edition of the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate. [Source: AP] -more-

Farmers Yield New Ideas From Drought

April 22, 2009 · Cheap and consistent water turned California's Central Valley from an arid region into a productive farming community. But a serious drought is forcing farmers to evolve. Jennifer Collins reports. -more-

Navigating America's 'Poisoned Waters'

April 15, 2009 · [Fresh Air] Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith details widespread pollution of America's waterways in the PBS Frontline documentary Poisoned Waters. -more-

Would-be South Texas Rivergoers Up a Creek Without Much Water

April 20, 2009 ·On Sunday the Guadalupe River above New Braunfels was flowing at 56 cubic feet per second, according the U.S. Geological Survey — less than a sixth of its normal spring flow. [Source: San Antonio Express-News -more-

Bottled Water Sales Flatten During Recession

April 15, 2009 · After years of double-digit increases, bottled water sales have stopped rising. Industry analysts say the economy is driving the change, but they also say environmentalists may be having an effect. Decades ago, when people were thirsty, they looked for a water fountain or turned on the tap. -more-

What's Killing California's Salmon?

April 11, 2009 · Federal fisheries managers voted for the second year in a row this week to shut down commercial salmon fishing in California and severely limit recreational fishing. The decision came after record low returns of salmon were recorded. -more-

New EPA Review Prompts Anxiety Over Mining Jobs

March 31, 2009 · The Environmental Protection Agency's stepped up scrutiny of coal permits has people in Appalachia worried bout the economic consequences. At issue is a mining process where the tops of mountains are blown off to reveal coal — with the resulting debris dumped in streams. -more-

20 Years Since Exxon Valdez, New Ocean Threats?

March 27, 2009 · [Talk of the Nation: Science Friday] Two decades since the catastrophic oil spill in Prince William Sound, today's threats to the ocean — from acidification to dead zones — are harder to see. Philippe Cousteau, CEO of EarthEcho International, and Peter Seligmann, chairman of Conservation International, discuss the ocean environment. -more-

NOAA Head Jane Lubchenco On Ocean Policy

March 27, 2009 · [Talk of the Nation: Science Friday] What is on the horizon for the U.S. role in ocean management? Jane Lubchenco, newly-confirmed administrator of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), discusses her top priorities for ocean policy — from forming a National Climate Service to ending overfishing. -more-

Water is the New Carbon

March 20, 2009 · As rain fall slows and the Earth heats up, companies have started monitoring their water usage more carefully. Caitlan Carroll reports what large-scale businesses are doing to monitor their water footprint. -more-

Drinking Water More Expensive

March 17, 2009 · Drinking water across the nation is getting more and more expensive. Some say it's the private sector that is pushing those prices up. Elaine Grant reports. -more-

A Down Payment to Clean the Great Lakes

March 13, 2008 · [Living on Earth] Half a billion dollars in the stimulus bill is a down payment to begin the process to clean up the Great Lakes. -more-

Texas Water Symposium

The Texas Water Symposium, created through the partnership of Schreiner University, Texas Tech University, Texas Public Radio, and Hill Country Alliance is a series of four free lectures and forums designed to inform and engage Texas citizens. The Texas Water Symposium series provides perspectives from key stakeholders and illustrate the complexity and challenges in providing water for Texans in this century. The Texas Water Symposium aired Texas Public Radio's The Newsmaker Hour.

March 12, 2009
Forging Partnership: Addressing Complex Water Issues in Texas

January 29, 2009
History of the Rule of Capture and its Role and Status in Shaping Water Policy and Planning in Texas (Part 1)

History of the Rule of Capture and its Role and Status in Shaping Water Policy and Planning in Texas (Part 2)

November 13, 2008
The Edwards Aquifer Juggling Act: Conservation, Springs, Alternatives and Policy

September 25, 2008
Texas Hill Country in Change: People, Property, Planning and Springs

Pharmaceutical flushing

October 5, 2008 · [Living on Earth] Americans flush a quarter of a billion pounds of drugs down the drain every year -- what this means for the environment and our drinking water. -more-