NEW YORK — In the wake of news recently reported by the Associated Press that trace levels of pharmaceuticals have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas, some large cities are choosing to test their supplies while others have decided not to because interpreting results is difficult.

Today’s technology, while better at detecting contaminants in water supplies, also leaves experts guessing at the significance of their findings. To address this, the writers for The Wall Street Journal interviewed George Corcoran, Wayne State University professor and president of the Society of Toxicology, in a March 19 WSJ Health Blog.

“As we get more and more sophisticated measurement instruments we can now measure concentrations of things that we could never dream of measuring 10 years ago. We would have said they were zero. These are parts per billion,” Corcoran said in the interview. “But I’m a prudent man and I think these kinds of decisions require a base of evidence. Quite honestly that base of evidence doesn’t exist today. Personally, I think it’s likely that they’re not harmful at their current concentrations, and I drink water freely from the Detroit public water supply without concern for myself or my family.”

Yet, some cities are not satisfied with that approach and are moving forward with plans to test for pharmaceuticals in their water supply. In North Dakota’s largest city, Fargo, testing is set to begin this month, according to a March 24 Associated Press report that ran in The Bismarck Tribune.

“What we decided to do was [sample] our two source waters, the Red and Sheyenne rivers, as well as treated drinking water coming out of the water treatment plant, that we’re putting out to our customers,” Bruce Grubb, Fargo Enterprise Director, said in the story.

The city has hired a University of Iowa lab to do the testing, said the article.

Other major US metropolitan areas, such as Phoenix and Scottsdale, AZ, also have announced their intent to test their water for emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, according to a March 14 article in The Arizona Republic.

Officials from Phoenix said they are still trying to determine testing procedures and how to react to results.

To read the full article on Fargo’s testing, click here.

To read the WSJ interview with George Corcoran, click here.

To read The Arizona Republic story, click here.

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