An ongoing Associated Press investigation showing that about 250 million pounds of pharmaceuticals and contaminated packaging enter the nation's water supply each year has prompted Gainesville Regional Utilities to test for the chemicals in local drinking water.
When the first part of the investigation was released in March, GRU spokesman Dan Jesse said the company would not be performing special testing for pharmaceuticals.
But with more information released in September and increased exposure of the investigation, a few customers have expressed concerns, said Rick Hutton, a GRU supervising utility engineer.
Testing will begin in March, Hutton said, after a list is compiled of common pharmaceuticals, chemicals and compounds that have been reported frequently at other locations around the country.
They can then be reliably tested for in a laboratory, he said.
Although GRU has not tested for the pharmaceuticals found in the AP report, routine testing has shown no chemicals to warrant doubt about the water quality, Hutton said.
According to the AP investigation, the chemicals in the water are caused by hospitals and long-term care facilities that improperly dispose of pharmaceuticals and contaminants.
The best way to guarantee that the water is safe is for people to stop dumping their prescriptions down the toilet and drain, said George A. O'Connor, a UF soil and water science professor.
To safely dispose of pharmaceuticals, people should take them to facilities where they can be incinerated or put them in discreet, impenetrable packaging and throw them away in the trash, O'Connor said.
Although there could be unknown chemicals in the nation's drinking water, this does not mean that people should be scared and stop drinking tap water, O'Connor said, because scientists have not yet identified the potential impact of these chemicals.
Florida is a national leader in water quality and has strict criteria in place, O'Connor said. The water is checked and verified against existing drinking water standards on a regular basis, he said.
