Trying to go Drug Free? Check your Tap Water

According to a 5-month study by the Associated Press, antibiotics, sedatives, sex hormones and other prescription drugs were found in water supplies nationwide that serve at least 41 million Americans.

So, how did the drugs get into the water supplies? According to the reports, when people take the drugs, the body only absorbs what is needed, then the rest is flushed out or the system and down the toilet. Problem is, according to the study, water treatment plants aren’t designed to remove pharmaceutical residues, so they stay in the water. Granted, these drug amounts are scant, and many that oversee water supplies insist that their water supplies are safe, however it again begs to a bigger issues — the safety of our water supply, how it can be easily infiltrated and the long term health risks of ingesting drugs over time that the body does not need.

So what can you do? For starters, educate yourself and learn more about drugs in tap water. Next, go to the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) National Tap Water Quality Database. This is a brilliant service from a leading public advocacy group that utilizes public information to protect public health and the environment. Also, if you don’t have an in-home sink filtration system, consider some of the many options at Brita. Finally, if you see that the content of your water supply is not what you thought it was, contact your Senators and Representatives to demand stricter oversight. Remember, they’re in office for you.