2009 Consumer Confidence Report & Annual Water Supply Statement
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Drinking Water
In 2008 the Associated Press released a three-piece story on pharmaceuticals and personal care products in drinking water sources. Although the Onondaga County Water Authority was not one of the systems covered by the story, the article did stir interest of the Boards and Management of both OCWA and the Metropolitan Water Board (MWB). Accordingly, starting in 2008 the Authority implemented an annual testing program to learn more about potential pharmaceutical and personal care product contaminants that might be found in the Otisco Lake and Lake Ontario water supplies.
While none of us want to find any contaminants in our drinking water, as zero is the desirable level, it is important to begin the process of gathering occurrence data to allow for researchers to target the most commonly found contaminants. As such the Authority intends to continue to collect data related to pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water and will also continue its process of sharing the data with both the researchers and OCWA’s consumers.
The 2008 round of samples involved testing for 34 potential contaminants, and with the exception of two items, the results were found to be non-detectable. For 2009, based on the recommendation of researchers studying the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, testing was expanded to 112 potential contaminants and positive results were obtained for 17 of the items, all in the parts per trillion range.
To learn more about the test results and related information for the 2008 and 2009 you are encouraged to visit the OCWA web site (www.ocwa.org). Anyone that has questions about results, or any of the other water quality reports posted on the Authority web site are encouraged to contact OCWA’s Water Quality Manager, Bob Rusyn, Bob can be reached at 315-455-7061, extension 3157.
General Info. related to Pharmaceuticals and Other Emerging Contaminants
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, known in the water industry as PPCPs, are a group of compounds consisting of human and veterinary drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) and consumer products, such as fragrances, lotions, sunscreens and housecleaning products.
These compounds have been detected in trace amounts in surface water, drinking water and wastewater effluent sampling because water professionals have the technology today to detect more substances, at lower levels, than ever before.
Many PPCP compounds are being found at extremely low levels, typically single digit parts per trillion (ppt). Drinking-water standards are typically set in the parts per-billion range, which is 1,000 times higher. The fact that the substance is detectable in drinking water does not mean the substance is harmful to humans. To date, research throughout the world has not demonstrated an impact on human health from trace amounts of PPCPs found in drinking water.
The water community is committed to protecting the public health. Water professional are examining the occurrence of PPCPs in drinking-water supplies and the effectiveness of current treatment techniques on removal, and are paying close attention to health-effects research in this area, including research being conducted by the Water Research Foundation.
In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains an active program called the Contaminant Candidate List to identify contaminants in public drinking water that warrant detailed study. While the 2009 list does not currently include any PPCPs, EPA is considering testing for PPCP compounds in the very near future.
Safer medication disposal:
To help safeguard water quality, discard your unwanted or expired medications in the trash, rather than dumping them down the sink or toilet. Keep prescriptions in their original container, remove or black out personal information on labels, then hide them in an empty, sealable container before placing in your garbage bag. For detailed tips on responsible medication disposal and protecting our water supply visit www.PainInTheDrain.com and then see the Rx Disposal section.
More information:  or 315-455-7061
After hours & weekend emergency answering service 315-475-7601
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