General Information about Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drinking Water
The presence of pharmaceuticals and other personal care products in water is not new. They likely have been present in water supply sources for as long as such products have been in use. What is new is that advances in laboratory technology have made it easier to detect and measure them at extremely low levels. These lab methods are not widely available and are still experimental and under development.
Recent studies have told drinking water officials that these substances are present, but little is known about the effects on people and the environment. The fact that a substance is detectable does not mean the substance is harmful to humans. Research conducted around the world to date has not identified a health concern associated with pharmaceuticals and consumer products at the minute levels detected in the study. People regularly consume or expose themselves to products containing these compounds in much higher concentrations through medicines, food and beverage and other sources. The levels in which they are found in source waters are very small in comparison.
The USEPA maintains an active program called the Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) to identify contaminants in public drinking water that warrant detailed study. The CCL does not currently include any pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs).
There is a critical need for further studies to determine whether pharmaceuticals and personal care products pose a risk. Research is also needed to identify the best way to address these substances if they are in fact a health risk. We need to find out what the presence of these substances means for public health, and more importantly, how to manage the problem.
Water agencies are encouraging the Environmental Protection Agency to take a broad look at the larger life cycle issues associated with pharmaceuticals. There may be more effective ways to deal with these substances in the environment before they reach the drinking water.
The following links provide more information about Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drinking Water
http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/
http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/AssessingRisk/PPCP/PPCPTox.cfm
Soquel Creek Water District (SqCWD) Information Regarding Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drinking Water
The SqCWD is concerned about public health, and wants the drinking water delivered to be the safest it can possibly be. In November of 2007, Soquel Creek Water District participated in a USEPA/USGS (United States Environmental Protection Agency/United States Geological Survey) joint study where samples of raw water were analyzed for “Compounds of Emerging Concern,” which included pharmaceuticals. The District has not yet received the results of this study, but the report will be made available to the public when it is released.
All of SqCWD's current water supply comes from wells, which pump the water from deep underground aquifers. The main source of this water is precipitation that falls in the hills within mid-Santa Cruz County and then percolates into the Soquel-Aptos groundwater basin. Within sewered areas, the source water has had relatively little exposure to anthropogenic (human) sources of contamination. Most of the area where Soquel Creek Water District has wells is served by a sewer system that transports the wastewater out of the area where it is treated then discharged far offshore. Most of our groundwater supply is therefore protected from contact with this source of contamination. The notable exception is La Selva Beach, which has septic systems. The sample water submitted for the USEPA/USGS study mentioned above was taken from a La Selva Beach well for this reason.
