Pharmaceuticals in our Water Supply

Environmental Pollution Still a Huge Concern - Drugs in Our Drinking Water by William Lin

Concern about our environment is a relatively new concept. It really came to the forefront during 1970's. In fact before the year 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency didn't even exist. And while there may have been laws in place designed to protect us from hazardous toxic waste, and other forms of industrial pollution they were difficult to enforce. Headlines during that decade were really frightening. Headlines like: High Smog Levels in Industrialized Cities May be the Cause of Increased Lung Disease. Hazardous Waste Buried under Love Canal, NY Leads to Entire City Being Evacuated. Despite the best efforts of our local governments and the EPA we are still seeing scary headlines like: drugs in our drinking water.

One of the reasons that we are seeing drugs found in US drinking water in the headlines is because, as of yet, there are no specific laws regarding the dumping of drugs in our drinking water or no regulations regarding the acceptable levels of each particular drug in the water that we drink. There is not even a way to enforce such laws if they were enacted because it is not the large drug manufacturing companies that are responsible for this type of pollution, it is us. We are the culprits. It is us and all the hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, farmers and veterinarians that contribute to this problem. All of us dispose of the drugs in much the same way. We flush them down the toilet or rinse them down the drain and then they enter our water system.

The water that flows through the sewer lines travels to a water treatment plant where first it is filtered and then it is treated with chemicals and dumped back into our lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Then, at least 10% of it is recycled back into the water we drink. No wonder we have drugs in our drinking water.

As a parent, reading headlines that cry out drugs found in US drinking water really frightens me. I want more than anything else to protect my family. But, how can I when my local water company can't? Drugs are still flowing through the tap water that my kids drink everyday?

After doing some research I found that the best answer, at least for now, is to install a water filtration system into my home. And while there are many types of such water filtration systems available the best type to combat drugs in our drinking water is a carbon-ion filtration system.

The carbon-ion system works in two ways. First, the thick carbon block traps most of the pollutants found in tap water and then the ion exchange makes the chemicals and drugs in our drinking water inert.

Now, even when I read headlines saying drugs found in US drinking water, I feel a little safer. I know that I am doing all I can to protect my family. May be one day we will find a better way to dispose of our pharmaceuticals.

William Lin is an avid proponent of optimum health through high quality water sources. Break free from the typical low quality water sources by visiting William's site at Pure Filtered Safe Water to learn about his research on health through cleaner, healthier water.

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