don't drink the water ...

... unless you can't afford your prescriptions

The Environmental Protection Agency is urging residents of the Great Lakes region not to flush old prescription medications.

The Great Lakes are by far the largest collection of fresh liquid water in the world. I grew up near the shores of Lake Ontario - the easternmost of the five lakes - and visited it nearly every weekend as a child.

When I was young, the lake and its associated bays were green with algae. The accidental introduction of Zebra mussels in 1988 marked a change in water clarity. On recent visits to Port Bay, at the northern end of Wolcott, NY, I have been able to see the lake bottom clearly in over twenty feet of water.