The EPA should set up formal working relationships with other federal organizations in order to improve research about pharmaceuticals and other contaminants in drinking water, according to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) study published September 8. Although the amounts of pharmaceuticals found in public drinking water systems have been low, generally detected in parts per trillion, their possible hazards are unknown due to limited research. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA regulates pharmaceuticals and other contaminants in drinking water but has found it difficult to acquire data to help guide decisions as to what pharmaceuticals it should regulate. The EPA’s now-defunct Pharmaceuticals in the Environment workgroup, established in 2006, generated a draft report in 2009 on how agencies could best collaborate to aid data collection, but it was never completed or announced publicly. The EPA is working with the US Geological Survey and the FDA in another attempt to acquire data, but it does not have an official plan in place to maintain such relationships. The EPA agreed with the GAO’s recommendation to set up formal partnerships but said its ability to do so may be contingent upon available resources.

Source: GAO