HUNTINGTON -- While discussion concerning tiny amounts of pharmaceuticals found in drinking water nationwide persists, no regulation exists currently to require water systems to test for drugs.
One local company said they are waiting for state or federal instruction on the issue.
"We do not test currently for pharmaceuticals in the water, but American Water, as the parent company, does have the equipment to do so and is awaiting any protocol from state or federal government," said Jessica Greathouse, West Virginia American Water spokesperson.
A variety of medicines, from antibiotics to mood stabilizers and sex hormones, were reported to be found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, according to an Associated Press investigation.
Testing for pharmaceuticals in water may need to be required in the future, according to Zane Satterfield, engineering scientist with the National Drinking Water Clearinghouse out of West Virginia University.
While the amount of pharmaceuticals found in drinking water currently is extremely small, Satterfield said now is the time to discuss this issue.
"Even though they're small amounts now, in 10 years they may not be," he said.
Satterfield said many of the pharmaceuticals get into the water as a result of people flushing or excreting the drugs. He said people need to take medications back to their pharmacists if they don't want them, or mix them with used cat litter and throw them away.
He said it's already been proven that some chemicals in the water have affected wildlife, causing some fish to change sexes.
Observations from the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission reveal similar effects, according to Peter Tennant, deputy executive director.
"We've seen some indication there is an impact -- male fish with female organs and that sort of thing. It's not as extreme as have been found in other parts of the country, but we are seeing something," he said.
Tennant said there are definitely pharmaceuticals in the Ohio River, but nothing seen yet is cause for "grave concern."
"We really don't know today what it all means. We don't know because we're only monitoring the river itself. We don't know how effective drinking water treatment is to remove these things," he said.
Tennant said a treatment facility like the one in Huntington has good monitoring overall though, considering its size.
"I'd be more concerned for a smaller community that perhaps didn't have the treatment capabilities that utilities do along the Ohio River," he said.
Satterfield said West Virginia's drinking water overall seems safe, but more contaminants may need to be monitored.
"Right now there's only 87 national primary drinking water standard contaminants that are tested for," he said.
These include things like benzene, arsenic and uranium.
The Environmental Protection Agency mandates what states test for in their water systems, he said.
Greathouse said water in the Huntington area comes from the Ohio River, and basic treatment processes include disinfecting the water, removing sediment and adding fluorine. She said monthly sampling protocols are required.
West Virginia American Water also strives to earn awards from the EPA and the American Water Works Association.
"The Huntington plant has been a recipient of those awards in the past for high drinking water standards," Greathouse said.
She said West Virginia American Water has not received any violations statewide by any regulator in the past year.
The water treatment plant in Ashland also does not test for pharmaceuticals, and laboratory supervisor Bill Stambaugh said he's not sure it's needed right now.
"I think it should be monitored more on the wastewater side," he said.
Walt Ivey, director of the environmental engineering division in the Bureau of Public Health, said he thinks testing for pharmaceuticals is a good idea. However, he said it must be done on the federal level because studies are very costly.
"I think it's an important issue, and I think it would be beneficial to have it looked into," he said.
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