Well before the Associated Press released its investigation in March 2008 showing that pharmaceutical drugs had been detected in waters across the U.S., Clean Water Fund had been involved in efforts to promote research and action on the issue.

Recognizing the organization’s expertise, government panels in the U.S. Senate and in the states tapped staff of Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund to present testimony on the issue in the weeks that followed the publicity around the AP report’s release.

Solutions supported by Clean Water Fund include:

• Research on human health and wildlife effects.
• Expand monitoring of both raw and finished water.
• Fund research into treatment technology upgrades that wastewater treatment and drinking water utilities can use to remove drugs from water intended for consumption or other uses.
• Promote programs to discourage flushing of unused drugs into public wastewater systems.
• Review and strengthen permits for industrial water pollution discharges from pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and other institutional users of these drugs.

All of these solutions require strong national clean and safe water protections.