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Just recently, a pretty disturbing report was released that suggests that much of our drinking water supply contains small traces of pharmaceutical drugs. A five-month investigation by the Associated Press showed that reservoirs in twenty-four major metropolitan areas of the U.S. contained low levels of medications including hormones, antibiotics, antidepressants, and many others. Scientists have known about this issue since the late 90’s but it’s safe to say it’s been going on a lot longer than that.

How are the drugs getting into the water? A good portion of the contamination comes from people tossing their old or expired drugs down the toilet. Another major source is our bodies. We can only absorb a certain amount of every medication we take, while the rest goes…well you can figure it out. Our bodies are like sponges. Once the sponge is full the rest of the water just pours out. This is exactly what happens as drugs pass through our body.  Human waste is not the only source. Feed lots for cattle also contaminate our water tables as the animals are routinely injected with steroid hormones that bring them faster to market weight.

Hormones in the water supply are of particular interest to public health officials. We’ve known for some time now that certain species of lake and river fish have been developing both male and female characteristics – something that could very well threaten their populations over a long period of time. Doctors are also noting similar patterns in young children. Many young boys are showing signs of breast development while young girls are beginning their menstrual cycles at earlier and earlier ages. And obesity has doubled over the past 30 years across all age groups in the US. All of these situations are linked to rising hormone levels, namely estrogen, which is the primary female hormone.

Ask the pharmaceutical industry whether the contamination of water supplies is a problem and officials will tell you no. "Based on what we now know, I would say we find there's little or no risk from pharmaceuticals in the environment to human health," said microbiologist Thomas White, a consultant for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Just because something doesn’t pose an immediate threat doesn’t mean that it’s not harmful down the road. And if we look at trends over the past few decades, it’s hard to argue that a problem doesn’t exist.

What can we do to improve the situation? Here are a few things to consider.

1.      Mix unused or unwanted drugs with coffee grounds or kitty litter, something that will be unappealing to pets. Put the mixture in a sealed container so it's not accessible to children or pets and place it in the trash.

2.      Home filtering systems such as reverse osmosis may reduce some medication levels, and if you add carbon filtration, they may be reduced even more.

3.      Don’t drink out of plastic bottles. Most plastic water bottles will leach their chemicals right into the water you are drinking, making them another source of chemicals for your body.

4.      Reusing plastic bottles poses a risk too.  Plastic breaks down over time and heat exposure speeds this up even more. Polycarbonate (harder plastic) bottles, and glass, seem to be safer alternatives to reuse for drinking.

5.      More than 25% of bottled water is simply straight from the tap. If it doesn’t specify the filtration process right on the label, don’t buy it. Look for the words ‘purified’, ‘reverse osmosis’, ‘ozonation’, ‘distllation’, and ‘carbon filtration’.

6.      Boiling will not solve the problem either. It takes care of bacteria and other bugs and also chlorine, but chemical contaminants are not affected.

7.      Contact your local public utilities and ask them what pollutants they test for in drinking water. Ask if they specifically test for hormones.

Remember, knowledge is power and if we want things to change we have to first begin with the choices we make. Be an educated consumer, always ask questions, and do your own research.