FRANKFORT, Ky. — The quality of the U.S. water supply is often overlooked. Americans are prone to take for granted that water from the tap is clean, or lakes for swimming or fishing is free of contaminants.<br>

A recent Associated Press investigation examined one area of water pollution that hasn’t gotten much attention, but is a concern for many in the environmental arena.<br>

The Associated Press warned of the presence of pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medicine residues in U.S. water supplies.
The five-month investigation found drugs such as antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones to be present in 24 major metropolitan areas across the country, including Louisville, affecting approximately 41 million people.<br>

The amounts were so small they were measured in parts per billion or trillion, but the concern with many scientists is the long-term effects on wildlife and humans.<br>

Jane Eller, executive director of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council, said this isn’t a new problem but public awareness may just be beginning.<br>

“The news came as no surprise to folks who study water quality issues. But to the general public it was a revelation. It was also symptomatic of the public’s need to have a better understanding of the sources of drinking water and how they become polluted,” she said.<br>

“In the environmental community there is a phenomenon know as the tragedy of the commons which means that those things we all hold in common, such things as water, air, public space, and in one sense, topsoil are either not valued at all or very undervalued because they don’t ‘belong’ to us and we are not directly responsible for them. That is where the tragedy comes in.”<br>

While treatment of drinking supplies provides a partial remedy for the problem, Eller warns that in Kentucky many still get their water from alternatives sources.<br>

“All municipal drinking water sources are treated but about one-fourth of Kentuckians still get their water from wells and, since Kentucky is essentially one big sponge underground, whatever is dumped onto the ground may eventually get into the well water,” she said.<br>

Modern advances in detection technology has helped to identify these drugs showing up in U.S. water supplies, but little information to evaluate the problem has been gathered in Kentucky, something that could soon change according to Sandy Gruzesky, acting director of the Kentucky Division of Water.<br>

“While the problems associated with emerging contaminants are becoming more widely recognized, little information has been collected in Kentucky to assess this growing problem. Therefore, the Kentucky Division of Water has proposed a study to target streams in central Kentucky with potential sources of pharmaceuticals and hormones discharging within the watershed to establish some baseline data,” said Gruzesky.<br>

“Sample locations will possibly include stream reaches located downstream from wastewater treatment facilities, animal feeding operations, agricultural areas using waste products as fertilizer and larger developed areas. This synoptic study is intended to identify areas of potential risk and to direct future study design.”<br>

Gruzesky added, “Advances in scientific monitoring and analysis are making it possible to detect more substances in the water and at lower levels than ever before. The fact that a substance is detectable does not mean that it is harmful to humans. As with all pollutants, however, it is prudent to perform research to determine potential threats to human health. It is also important to educate the public about proper disposal of unused medicines and other personal care products to help keep the water supply safe.”<br>

The investigative report has already prompted two U.S. Senators to call for hearings into the findings of the story, according to the AP. Sen. Barbara Boxer, who heads the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, chairman of the Transportation, Safety, Infrastructure Security and Water Quality Subcommittee, said the oversight hearings would likely be in April.
Eller suggests a few basic things everyone should learn in protecting water supplies including: knowing what a watershed is and learn about nearby watersheds; knowing about groundwater, especially those who live in areas with a many caves or if well-water is a primary source; learning the source and quality of drinking water; and remember the fact that if it’s on the ground, it is in water.<br>

“Keeping our water clean is not rocket science. It just requires all of us learning a little more and thinking ahead,” said Eller.
For more details, visit these websites:<br>

•www.water.ky.gov/watersheds<br>

•http://inyourwater.org<br>

•www.groundwater.org/gi/gi.html<br>

•www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/ ky.htm<br>