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Pharms in Drinking Water AP began running a series of articles recently (March 10, 2008) about Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water which hit the airwaves across the country: This information is not new to scientists nor those in the water field. Europeans have been studying the issue for the past decade. WREN has been tracking and publicizing the issue for years. EPA Website for Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products The Federal Government came out with Federal Guidelines for Disposal of Prescription Drugs in February 2007; they are available at Since sewage disposal is often rudimentary in many parts of Pennsylvania, and many communities continue to directly discharge untreated sewage directly to water bodies, it should come as no surprise that the compounds we excrete and flush obey the laws of physics and are showing up in water sources, albeit at minute levels (ppm and ppb). A combination of additional research, stewardship and policy-making are needed. At the moment, pharmacies are NOT allowed to accept back controlled substances (narcotics) per the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Controlled Substances Act, which currently prevails. Therefore, any return or collection program must deal with the issue that no one, except a law enforcement officer is permitted to have a controlled substance in his/her possession if it has been prescribed for a different person. Current regulations require that one-time collection programs require a police officer on-site if controlled substances will be collected. The "post-office" type collection boxes are not allowed to include controlled substances, and not many consumers may be aware of the distinction; nor can any mail-back programs except in Maine through the Maine DEA. A number of states are exploring the options. Drug Traces Common in Tap Water WREN Water Policy News Winter 2007 Issue feature article: Endochrochrine Disruptors: What's the Buzz Thanks to Dave Hess' www.paenvironmentdigest.com video blog at paenvirodigestvideo.blogspot.com/ WREN's Water Policy News July 2007 featured:Conflicting Public Policies: Why Is It So Difficult to Keep Pharmaceuticals Out of the Water This article is posted here with permission from Water Resources IMPACT , Volume 9, Number 3 (Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.). This issue focuses on an area of growing concern for water resources professionals: emerging contaminants of concern in the environment. Side Effects Feb 25, 2008 Edition of Chemical and Engineering News had a couple good articles on the Pharms in Water story: Pharmaceuticals have been finding their way into our environment for a long time, but just what are they doing there? EPA Finalizes Groundwater Regulation After several years in development, EPA signed a final groundwater regulation on October 11, 2006. This regulation applies to more than 47,000 public water systems that use ground water for their drinking water supplies and addresses exposure to fecal contamination. The regulation includes requirements for sanitary surveys of ground water systems; source water monitoring and corrective actions to ensure the requirements of the rule are met. For more information on the Ground Water Rule and drinking water, click on the link below. www.epa.gov/safewater/ Want to Learn More about the Clean Water Act?
The River Network announces two resources: The Clean Water Act Online Course and Clean Water Act Owner's Manual, 2nd Edition -- Now Available! Learn more about these resources. Find river and conservation groups in your area Search the Pennsylvania River and Watershed Conservation Directory for grassroots river and watershed conservation groups, local agencies, and governments located in Pennsylvania.
Interested in how land use affects water treatment costs? Check out the recent study by the Trust for Public Land and the American Water Works Association, Protecting the Source authored by Caryn Ernst, explores scientific, economic, and public health rationales for using land conservation for drinking water protection and presents best practices for successful implementation locally. The report examined 27 Public Water Suppliers around the country in 2002 and found that the more forest cover in a watershed the lower the treatment costs.According to the study:For every 10 percent increase in forest cover in the source area, treatment and chemical costs decreased approximately 20 percent, up to about 60 percent forestcover.
More info on Pennsylvania's Water Quality Standards
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Register for our workshop! What can be done to ensure we have clean healthy drinking water now and for future generations? Join us at this free workshop to learn the steps to protect public drinking water. Knowledge is Power. Until we understand where our raw water sources are located (both ground and surface water), what shape they're in, and what is affecting these sources, we have little ability to proactively protect them. This informative workshop will help drinking water suppliers, municipal officials, planners, watershed groups, and residents learn the steps that can be taken now to safeguard raw water sources we tap for our drinking water in the community. Learn more | Flyer for Event | Get Directions | Register
Terrific Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox Now Available!!
The Toolbox, online at www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/, includes a searchable catalog of a comprehensive set of Web-based resources, designed to assist communities across the U.S. to conduct locally effective watershed education and outreach activities. Don't reinvent the wheel - take advantage of materials already developed and in use around the country to develop messages and products for your own community.The Toolbox also provides EPA's publication Getting in Step - A Guide to Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns, www.epa.gov/nps/toolbox/getcd.htm as well as a comprehensive collection of surveys and evaluations of outreach programs to determine results achieved from around the country. After the Storm DVD and Video Now Available
Both the DVD and VHS copies of "After the Storm" include closed captioning so the program is accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Questions? Please send them to EPA at weatherchannel@epa.gov. May is American Wetlands Month On this 17th anniversary of American Wetlands Month, EPA and a host of other public and private partners have planned a number of events for this year's celebration. Check out www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/awm/. Wetlands play a key role in the environment and provide many benefits: improved water-quality, increased water storage and supply, reduced flood and storm surge risk, and critical habitat for plants, fish, and wildlife. Information on national, regional, and local activities planned for the month of May will be updated and posted on the American Wetlands Month Website. Robocow is back! It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Robocow, the award-winning star of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s educational video! And she’s back with a sequel: Robocow: The Aquifer Connection. News of the second video – which identifies problems and solutions concerning urban and rural groundwater – is spreading quickly, and requests for its use have already come in from New York and Ireland. Robocow: The Aquifer Connection is the followup to Robocow: Operation H2O, which was created in 2001 by AAFC’s Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration as a means of educating students and adults about beneficial management practices in agricultural settings. Operation H2O won an award of merit from the Association for Media Technology in Education in Canada, and has been requested for use by government departments, conservation groups and educators from across Canada, the United States, and around the world. View Robocow: The Aquifer Connection, View Robocow: Operation H2O
New Homeowners Guide to Stormwater Management
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Take advantage of EPA's new Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox, packed with nearly 800 print, radio, and TV ads and outreach materials in the following categories: 
Report says Nearly 60% of Pa. Facilities Exceeded Clean Water Pollution Limits
Interested in learning the latest on protecting drinking water and furthering your Source Water Protection education? Need help getting some new folks on your Source Water Team up to speed on Source Water Protection? Check out the EPA's series of Webcasts over the next few months. Note: There are also additional water related education programs listed at EPA's Drinking Water Academy at 