It should come as no surprise that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation wants to cut down on illicit drug use. What perhaps is surprising is where that information would come from.
Earlier this week, TBI Director David Rausch pitched the idea for a 30-week pilot program, to study wastewater to be able to track the use of illegal drugs.
“Specifically, the type of drug and the amount of that drug that are in the system,” said Rausch, during state budget hearings. “For example, at a high school, they’ll go in and pull that water, and they will test it to see what is going on there. And they will be able to show us the amount, say it’s high use of marijuana, they’ll be able to see that based on the output.”
The pilot would be based in Knoxville and allow a company to test wastewater at 16 dorms, 12 public high schools and at 120 other locations they could select.
“So that then becomes a great piece for those administrators at the school to be able to educate parents and make this aware this is an issue,” said Rausch.