You don't know how to interpret the information and might be unduly alarmed

[Sundowner]

--Hmm..drugs in the water supply.

--Defiantly requires further study and public transparency from those in charge.

A recent investigation revealed there are a "..vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.."

"How do the drugs get into the water?

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.

And while researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals, recent studies — which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public — have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife."

--Those in charge of the water supplies try and play it down.

"Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed."

--Here's a couple more zinger statements from the article:

"A sex hormone was detected in San Francisco's drinking water."     

--This explains more than a few things.

"Arlington, Texas, acknowledged that traces of a pharmaceutical were detected in its drinking water but cited post-9/11 security concerns in refusing to identify the drug."     

--Huh? This has got to be the most unusual use of "post 9/11 security concerns" I have seen to date.

"..officials in Emporia, Kan., refused to answer AP's questions, also citing post-9/11 issues."

--Again, huh?

"We know we are being exposed to other people's drugs through our drinking water, and that can't be good," says Dr. David Carpenter, who directs the Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany.

--This guy must be a strict juice drinker...he makes sense.

Regards,
Sun

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080309/ap_on_re_us/pharmawater_i

[john9001]

it is the govt that tells us to "drink eight glasses of water a day". 

[WWhiskey]

it takes about 10 years to get thru 350 feet of natural land mass for water, more, if you live in an area were there is heavy clay or bedrock! bottled water is highly more drug infested than ground water which is the most filtered!
 if you want good clean water go find a good ground water source! if you want too know what is in it then look back ten years at that location! this number was based on ogallala aquifer numbers from 1999!

[Sundowner]

it takes about 10 years to get thru 350 feet of natural land mass for water, more, if you live in an area were there is heavy clay or bedrock! bottled water is highly more drug infested than ground water which is the most filtered!
 if you want good clean water go find a good ground water source! if you want too know what is in it then look back ten years at that location! this number was based on ogallala aquifer numbers from 1999!

!


Thanks!   

Regards,
Sun

[C(Sea)Bass]

Even worse is the fact that there is Hydrogen Dioxide in the water you drink.

[Sundowner]

Even worse is the fact that there is Hydrogen Dioxide in the water you drink.

Perhaps you meant Dihydrogen monoxide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax

Lots of us started on this BBS at night, but not LAST night.
Busted!

Regards,
Sun

[lazs2]

You realize that the only reason we are seeing this is because we now have tests that can detect in fractions of a part  per billion..     

We can even test now and find exactly what well or lake or stream the water source came from.   

You don't even want to know about MTBE.

One of the ways that is used now to determine wastewater pollution is to look at pharmacudicals and makeup and such..  they are called trace studies.. used to determine if wastewater plants are "polluting" the ground water or receiving waters.

Anything can be eliminated..  so cheer up.   Your sewer bill will be $150 a month in the next few years.. I have told you this before.   It will only go up from there.   there will first be a bunch of panic "end of the world" stories run tho because.. well.. pretty hard to get people to pay one or two hundred bucks a month for sewer unless it is the end of the world.   a few parts per billion of pretty much harmless substances won't panic people enough so some exaggeration will be needed.. "what harm can it do?" 

Oh wait.. that is what they said about MTBE they used to fix the air before the smog ended the world.

lazs

[wrongwayric]

Oooohhh i'm scared now....wait i drink beer....nevermind.

[Chairboy]

Over one billion people lack reliable access to safe drinking water.  They're surrounded by water that may kill them quickly due to bacteria, waste, or other factors.  In light of that, this news of microscopic amounts that may cause slight discomfort over the decades is... Manageable.  

[Sundowner]

I agree parts per billion is a minuscule amount.

And I think you will agree from the title of my post that it's not the tiny amount of drugs in the water that I take issue with.

I think it's the cavalier attitude demonstrated by the people we pay to keep us informed that is more the issue.

It's just that "We don't feel you have a need to know or are too stupid to understand the data and may be unduly alarmed." attitude that I think we could do without.

And I think the "post 9/11 security concerns" phrase is being way overused.

At this rate ANY public issue raised may soon be sidestepped by the bureaucrat's reply "We decline to answer due to post 9/11 security concerns."

>>rant off<< 

Regards,
Sun



 

[Reschke]

Hey Laz here in the Birmingham, AL metro area our sewer bill is almost that right now. It is simply because the local water board has screwed up the massive sewer project and they feel the need to have a public relations firm on standing contract to make sure they aren't getting bad publicity for them screwing up the sewer project.

My water bill is less than $30 a month but sewer (which is different) is well over $100 a month and they are going to raise that at least 50% in the next two years since the county failed to pay $184 million in past due loans on the sewer project.

Anything can be eliminated..  so cheer up.   Your sewer bill will be $150 a month in the next few years.. I have told you this before.   It will only go up from there.   there will first be a bunch of panic "end of the world" stories run tho because.. well.. pretty hard to get people to pay one or two hundred bucks a month for sewer unless it is the end of the world.   a few parts per billion of pretty much harmless substances won't panic people enough so some exaggeration will be needed.. "what harm can it do?" 

lazs

[lazs2]

I told you guys this a few years ago.   The "water board" is nothing more than the EPA and the EPA is nothing more than a bunch of hippie girls who want to "change the world for the better"  to be fair.. they report to a board but.. the board is sensitive to...  wait for it...

activist groups... read.. fleets of lawyers looking for a group to suck dry.. the water boards will be sued by "environmental activists" read... ambulance chasers who will say that the board did not do enough (fine and charge YOU enough) to protect you from yourself.

I am about as highly certified as I can get in kalifornia which means.. the country..  I will need it because I want to move away from the city and have a septic and a well and my own power..  it will not be long before they will come after septic tanks.. you will need a certified waste water treatment plant operator to run and maintain your system and file reports.. I am certified to do so.   I might even pick up a few bucks from the locals doing theirs...

That is how bad it is now tho.. I have been asked to do so for small towns around me.. they are getting the real squeeze... 50 million dollar plants for communities of 5,000 people.. in one place, williams.. they leveed a fine of almost $9,000 for each homeowner.. cough it up... not only that but if you owned 20 acres.. you don't own 20 acres.. you own 20 potential homes.. 20 times nine grand.

I told you guys that the EPA would be more of a hated agency than the IRS and I wasn't kidding.   

lazs

[NUKE]

Laz, what about using a composting system? I heard that they are getting really efficient.

I want to live away from the city too and have been reading up on some ways to possibly live off the grid somewhere.

[lazs2]

No idea.. all government exists only if they can crush individualism.   You really can't fight them as an individual

The best any person who wishes to live as an individual can achieve is to move out away from the centers of their power and hope that they do not attract too much attention.   My plan is to move out far enough that by the time they get done picking your bones clean and get around to me.. I will be either dead or, too old to care.

This is an achievable goal for someone my age.. not so much for some of you younger guys who will have to move several times to escape.

lazs