Water engineers ... does the water filer take out medicines from the water?

Question

My friend read this article saying that men are getting female birth control through the water system. He states that when women who are on the birth control pee, they are releasing chemicals into the water supply that do not disapear in the filtration.

OK, I can see why he's paranoid ... but that got me paranoid about medicine senior citizens flush down the toilet. My dad was a lung transplant patient, and I was always flushing medicine that indicated "should not be touched" down the toilet ... and if there is any truth to the "Birth Control" then I would imagine more dangerous medicine is in the water supply.

Answer 1

Sorry, I'm not a water engineer--just an electrical engineer. Anyways, I've heard from several sources before that there are trace hormones and other drugs in public water *after* filtration. The amount that exists would only be a trace amount--however, you have to wonder what would happen after many years of exposure... 10, 20, 30 years? Anyways, I primarily drink bottled water these days, but I still drink tap water from time-to-time (just not as much as I did when growing up).

Here's a quote from the link I pasted below:
"Prescription drugs such as birth control pills, antidepressants and other drugs are often flushed down the drain and may account for the heightened level of pharmaceuticals being found. According to the EPA, however, technological advances in testing may make it possible to detect very low levels of hormones and chemical compounds in waterways. Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not sure yet whether such levels harm animals or people and are currently studying the seriousness of the issue."

Answer 2

Two things you should realize, #1 the discharge from your sanitary treatment system most likely does not go anywhere near your city's inlet for drinking water. So you would not be likely to be directly effected. #2 even those that are eventually effected, the amount of contamination is diluted down to a very very small percentage of the total flow (ie very low PPM), so it is unlikely to have a significant effect. I'd be more worried about all the drugs they give to livestock.

Answer 3

the major reason behind the Roman to be the form of fulfillment has been the Cement they used. it would want to solidify even in water. This allowed them to fix the aqueduct regardless of the water nevertheless operating. to operate to each thing else properly entered, that's the major rationalization why a number of those aqueducts are nevertheless wise

Answer 4

Water that gets flushed doen the toilet is usually discharged or re-introduced back into a natural surface water body (stream, river or bay) or other environment (wetlands, golf courses, greenways, etc.) after its been heavily treated at a sewage treatment plant to make it environmentally safe. It doesn't go straight back into our drinking supply.

Answer 5

here i must tell you that any chemicals or medicines has life time its really can expired by many things,, biodegredation which can made by biomass as bacteria,, algea,,for example, also some chemical reactions can occur during discharging of some chemicals and medicines,, also atmosphere and sun rays can really play a role in that degredation