Did you know that when you ingest or are injected with prescription drugs, your body doesn’t necessarily use all it takes in? It’s true. Excess drugs are excreted as waste material.

That’s good news for your body since pharmaceuticals are very hard on your system in the first place. However, it’s not good news for the ecosystem, since these drug residues work their way into our waterways and municipal water processing plants.

Things you need to know about municipal water

Tap water has been unsafe for drinking for a very long time. Tap water has toxic chemicals, some known carcinogens, added to make it “safe” for drinking. Three of the poisons that can be found in faucet water are chlorine, fluoride, and arsenic, a Category 1 carcinogen (cancer causing agent). Now, the newest acknowledgment of prescription drugs in the waterways is just one more toxin added to the already contaminated water. Prescription medications that end up in the water supply are not easily filtered.

The drugs are not present in large quantities but they are a contaminant to the body. This means, you may be ingesting them continuously over a period of years. And, we don’t yet know what will be the long-term effects of such intake.

Studies are showing that the effects are already manifesting in fish (male fish producing female egg yolk proteins). And even earthworms and zooplankton. Antibiotics for example are less and less effective as treatments for ailments in humans, due to the excessive prescribing practices. Bacteria have the ability to adapt to the antibiotics. Antibiotics in open water, gives bacteria more time to mutate.

How pervasive is the problem?

The problem of prescriptions is as deep as the aquifers and is spreading rapidly. This danger is global. Here in America, traces of drugs are found in nearly every source of drinking water that we have, including:

• Bottled drinking water – many bottlers do not test water for drugs right now, many just repackage tap water
• Well-water – people dig these under the mistaken belief that this is a safe way to collect the most healthful drinking water
• Home filtration systems – most don’t filter everything and they can get contaminated with drug residue
• Aquifers which are deep underground water systems – they supply us with 40% of our drinking water in the United States and are also becoming effected in rural areas

The business of prescription & over-the-counter medications

Prescription drugs are a major business in this country. Medical professionals have a history of pushing chemicals before natural, alternative treatments. These chemicals are designed to inhibit one function or another in the body and supposedly treat the symptoms of disease instead of the ROOT CAUSE. One medication often leads to the necessity of taking another one. Don’t take my word for it; just read the possible side effects that come with your medications. Side effects, like diarrhea, constipation, bloating, itchiness, and more, may cause you to return to the doctor for another prescription drug or suggestion for over-the-counter relief. As it stands now, this cycle is almost self-perpetuating.

What’s being done to fix the problem?

Not everyone is in denial about the true safety of municipal water. There are those who persist in trying to help the environment. For example, Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stated that his group takes this threat seriously. Water suppliers are working out ways to filter the impurities from the water. With the inclusion of the drugs, they have to develop new screening methods to find the different chemicals.As states become more aware of the problem; they are implementing rules and guidelines to affect change. Several states are now requiring that testing be done and the appropriate filtration practices be implemented. There are several theories that are being tested to say which method is the most effective. Reverse osmosis is being studied, along with carbon filtration and other means of cleaning water. It may be that a combination of techniques and pre and post filtering may get the most done.

What can you do to participate in the solution?

First and foremost, drink purified bottled water or distilled water. If you’re not drinking purified water, start. It’s the safest and healthiest thing that you can do for your body, since water sustains your body’s life force. Your body has enough work to do and doesn’t need to be hindered. Our bodies already have a first line of defense, our immune systems. Take care of your body and search for natural methods to replace the need for prescription meds. Remember, there are alternatives. If you do drink distilled water be sure to add a small amount of organic raw apple cider vinegar to replace the minerals lost during the distillation process.

Next, you have to consider the water that comes into your home. You can purchase a filtration system for your home to catch some of the things that slip through the provider filters, or things that get picked up between the filtration plant and your faucet. None of these catch everything. It helps though, when you can use cleaner water to wash dishes, and clothes that you have to put next to your skin. It helps to know that you’re not showering or bathing in this contaminated municipal water. I personally use and recommend the wellness water filtration systems which do a great job filtering even the smallest toxins from the water.

Related Articles:

• CNN: Prescription Drugs Found in Drinking Water Across U.S.
• Prescription Drugs Found to Be Widespread in Drinking Water
• Have Pharmaceuticals Become Environmental Pollutants?
• “Vast Array” of Prescription Drugs in Your Drinking Water