Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water

Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water are often found in trace amounts, when testing is performed. An Associated Press investigation found that, of 62 metropolitan areas in the U.S., only 28 tested for pharmaceuticals, and 24 found pharmaceuticals in the drinking water when they tested it.

Test Results
Below is a list of which cities that tested positive for pharmaceuticals in drinking water and the drugs they tested positive for.


 * Arlington, Texas: 1 (unspecified pharmaceutical)
 * Atlanta: 3 (acetaminophen, caffeine, and cotinine)
 * Cincinnati: 1 (caffeine)
 * Columbus, Ohio: 5 (azithromycin, roxithromycin, tylosin, virginiamycin and caffeine)
 * Concord, Calif.: 2 (meprobamate and sulfamethoxazole)
 * Denver: (unspecified antibiotics)
 * Detroit: (unspecified drugs)
 * Indianapolis: 1 (caffeine)
 * Las Vegas: 3 (carbamazepine, meprobamate and phenytoin)
 * Long Beach, Calif.: 2 (meprobamate and phenytoin)
 * Los Angeles: 2 (meprobamate and phenytoin)
 * Louisville, Ky.: 3 (caffeine, carbamazepine and phenytoin)
 * Milwaukee: 1 (cotinine)
 * Minneapolis: 1 (caffeine)
 * New Orleans: 3 (clofibric acid, estrone and naproxen)
 * Northern New Jersey: 7 (caffeine, carbamazepine, codeine, cotinine, dehydronifedipine, diphenhydramine and sulfathiazole)
 * Philadelphia: 56 (including amoxicillin, azithromycin, carbamazepine, diclofenac, prednisone and tetracycline)
 * Portland, Ore.: 4 (acetaminophen, caffeine, ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazole)
 * Riverside County, Calif.: 2 (meprobamate and phenytoin)
 * San Diego: 3 (ibuprofen, meprobamate and phenytoin)
 * San Francisco: 1 (estradiol)
 * Southern California: 2 (meprobamate and phenytoin)
 * Tucson, Ariz.: 3 (carbamazepine, dehydronifedipine and sulfamethoxazole)
 * Washington, D.C.: 6 (carbamazepine, caffeine, ibuprofen, monensin, naproxen and sulfamethoxazole)

Philadelphia: Dirty Water Capital of America?
Testing in Philadelphia found a total of 56 drugs, far more than any other city tested. City water officials say they probably found more drugs "simply because they did more testing." Given how many other cities do not test their water at all, this is quite possibly a logical explanation for at least some of their findings. They also insist that their water is safe to drink. The drugs found in Philadelphia's water include the following:


 * Antibiotics: Amoxicillin, Azithromycin, Bacitracin, Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin, Doxycycline, Erythromycin, Lincomycin, Oxytetracycline, Penicillin G, Penicillin V, Roxithromycin, Sulfadiazine, Sulfamethizole, Sulfamethoxazole, Tetracycline, and Trimethoprim.


 * Pain Relievers: Acetaminophen, Antipyrine, Aspirin, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Prednisone.


 * Heart Drugs: Atenolol, Bezafibrate, Clofibric acid, Diltiazem, Gemfibrozil, and Simvastatin.


 * Mind Drugs: Carbamazepine, Diazepam, Fluoxetine, Meprobamate, Phenytoin, and Risperidone.


 * Other Human Drugs: Caffeine, Cotinine, Iopromide, Nicotine, Paraxanthine, and Theophylline.


 * Veterinary Drugs: Carbadox, Chlortetracycline, Enrofloxacin, Monensin, Narasin, Oleandomycin, Salinomycin, Sulfachloropyridazine, Sulfadimethoxine, Sulfamerazine, Sulfamethazine, Sulfathiazole, Tylosin, and Virginiamycin.

Related Sourcewatch Articles

 * Antibiotics
 * Pharmaceuticals

External Articles

 * Jeff Donn, Martha Mendoza, and Justin Pritchard, AP: Drugs Found in Drinking Water, USA Today, September 12, 2008.
 * Jeff Donn, Martha Mendoza, and Justin Pritchard, "US Water Contaminated By Pharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals, Consumers", Huffington Post, April 20, 2009.