Your Septic System on Drugs  Recently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a ban on certain over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash products that contain triclosan, the active ingredient in most antibacterial soaps. Effective September 6, 2017, this ban also includes 18 other chemicals found in hand and body washes. The concern is two-fold: there is strong concern that the overuse of antibiotics will generate new antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, and there little understanding about triclosan’s fate in wastewater treatment systems. However, triclosan is not the only product of concern - if you are on a medication, so is your septic system. Oral medications have to be digested before the active ingredients can enter the bloodstream and be transported within the body. For many medications, only 20% of the active ingredient provides a clinical benefit (clearing a sinus infection or providing pain relief) while the remainder is metabolized and excreted from the body – mostly in the urine. This presentation will focus on pharmaceuticals and personal care products that enter septic systems and investigate the difficulties of removing these compounds out of the water.

John Buchanan is a Registered Professional Engineer, State of Tennessee, and specializes in the design of Drip Distribution of treated effluent. He is a former President of the Tennessee Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, a member of Tennessee Onsite Wastewater Association and the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association. When John is not teaching class at the University, he is involved nationally in the advancement of adult education in the Onsite Wastewater community.

Dr. Joe Yelderman currently working as a professor at baylor university in the department of geosciences. He has completed his Ph.D., Hydrogeology, Univ. of Wisconsin, 1983, M. S., Geology, Baylor Univ., 1976 & B. S., Geology & Env. Studies, Baylor Univ., 1974. Currently his work focus includes:The northern segment of the Edwards Balcones Fault Zone Aquifer and water management with regard to endangered species, Brazos River alluvium aquifer,Groundwater/surface-water interactions, Co-mingling of groundwater in aquifers, Naturally occurring arsenic in the Trinity aquifer, On-site and decentralized wastewater treatment research, Water management in developing countries.