Is Your Drinking Water Safe?
By: Nancy | March 13, 2008 | Category: Health
Were you as surprised as I was earlier this week when the Associated Press reported that traces of over-the-counter and prescription drugs are showing up in drinking water around the country?
Caffeine was just about everywhere. But pharmaceutical testing found drugs that treat everything from infections to epilepsy to anxiety in the water of 24 major metropolitan across the country, from North Jersey to Southern California.
The levels of these medications in the water are very low--just trace amounts. But there haven't been any studies about the long term effects of drinking water containing these medications at these levels.
Because of this news, and because I just found out this is also National Ground Water Awareness Week, I wanted to take a closer look at my local water report. I get it in the mail every year, glance at it and toss it in the recycling bin. Now I wish I'd held onto it.
I checked USA.gov and found my water supply report online. You might be able to find yours here too. If yours is not listed, check your latest water bill for your water supplier's contact info or search USA.gov for your city, town or municipality's website.
If you have a complaint or concern about the quality of your drinking water --from the faucet or bottled --you can contact the Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 weekdays, 10am to 4pm eastern time.
This all won't keep me from trying to get in my eight glasses a day, but it'll make me think a little more about the water I'm drinking.
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