AP: Drugs found in drinking water By Jeff Donn, Martha Mendoza and Justin Pritchard, Associated Press A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows. To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe. But the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health. In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville. Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed. How do the drugs get into the water? People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue. And while researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals, recent studies — which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public — have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife... Reflection/Opinion:      This is just an excerpt from an article I found at USAtoday.com. It is about traces of prescription drugs found in tap water and drinking water. It is found all over the country in the water supplies of major metropolitan areas. Although it is treated, the prescription drugs to not completely leave the tap water, and people are drinking them without even knowing it is happening. Of course we find traces of things like lead or copper, but these pharmaceuticals could be harmful if we do not find a way to take them out of the water before there are serious consequences. When new problems with our drinking water are brought to my attention, it makes me wonder what else could possibly in our tap water?  Questions: Do you have any previous knowledge of prescription drugs in our tap water? How long do you think it was there before it was found and brought to our attention? Do you think it is safer to drink tap or bottled water? Were you surprised by this article or were you aware that there are pharmaceuticals in our tap water?