An investigation by the Associated Press found an assortment of prescription drugs floating in upstate reservoirs, rivers, and aqueducts, which feed drinking water into NYC- WCBSTV reports. The report says over 15 drugs were found in the vast watershed, including in reservoirs in New York and New Jersey, such as the the New Street Reservoir in Paterson run by the Passaic Water Commission.

The research also found traces of drugs in other metropolitan areas. The amounts are well below the levels of a medical dose.

New York City’s water was found to have traces of 16 drugs in it, including atenolol, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, estrogen, acetaminophen, and diazepam.

In northern New Jersey, 13 pharmaceuticals including acetominophen, carbamazepine, codeine, and erythromycin were found in the tap.
 
And while the water is processed at wastewater treatment plants, according to the AP report, much of the drug residue doesn’t get filtered out and it’s unclear how much of that drug residue actually makes it to the faucets in our homes.

City officials issued the following statement: “New York City’s drinking water continues to meet all federal and state regulations regarding drinking water quality in the watershed and distribution system.”

Here’s the list of the 28 areas with pharmaceuticals detected, with the number found and some examples:

Arlington, Texas: 5 (unspecified drugs) 

Atlanta: 10 (including caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, diltiazem, acetaminophen, trimethoprim, cotinine and paraxanthine)

Cincinnati: 4 (gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, sulfamethaxazole and ethinyl estradiol) 

Columbus, Ohio: 15 (including azithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and caffeine)

Concord, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)

Denver: (unspecified antibiotics)

Detroit: (unspecified total; including carbamazepine, caffeine, cotinine)

Fairfax, Va.: 8 (erythromycin, lincomycin, trimethoprim, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole)

Indianapolis: 2 (caffeine and cotinine)

Las Vegas: 9 (including sulfamethoxazole, atenolol, trimethoprim, meprobamate, phenytoin, carbamazepine and gemfibrozil)

Long Beach, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)

Los Angeles: 9 (unspecified drugs)

Louisville, Ky.: 2 (ibuprofen and naproxen)

Milwaukee: 1 (cotinine)

Minneapolis: 3 (acetaminophen, caffeine and cotinine)

New York City: 16 (including atenolol, trimethoprim, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, estrogen, acetaminophen and diazepam)

Northern New Jersey: 13 (including acetaminophen, carbamazepine, codeine, dehydronifedipine, erythromycin, lincomycin and sulfadimethoxine)

Oklahoma City: 12 (including acetaminophen, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, iopromide, sulfamethoxazole and iopromide)

Omaha, Neb.: 2 (caffeine and sulfamethoxazole)

Philadelphia: 63 (including amoxicillin, aspirin, atorvastatin, bacitracin, diclofenac, phenytoin and fluoxetine)

Prince George’s-Montgomery counties, Md.: 3 (caffeine, carbamazepine and cotinine)

Riverside County, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)

San Diego: 12 (clofibrate, clofibric acid, ibuprofen and nine unspecified)

San Francisco: 1 (estrone)

Santa Clara, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)

Southern California: 9 (including atenolol, phenytoin, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, meprobamate, naproxen and trimethoprim)

Virginia Beach, Va.: 4 (fluoxetine, estradiol, acetaminophen and ibuprofen)

Washington, D.C.: 5 (monensin, ibuprofen, caffeine, carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole)

(Source: WCBSTV / NY1)