Before I begin my lesson on pharmaceuticals being eliminated through human waste, and how traces of it end back up in our tap water, please read this article:
Fresno doesn't test, but sure water is drug-free
The Fresno Bee
03/10/08 23:15:50
Fresno does not test its water for pharmaceuticals -- and has no intention of starting until the state establishes a set of standards. If that happens, "we're willing to test," said Lon Martin, assistant director for the city's public utilities department.
When that day comes -- and Martin believes it will -- he is confident Fresno's water will contain none of the pharmaceuticals found in the drinking water of other major metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia and Detroit.
"Luckily for the city of Fresno, I don't think there's going to be a big impact," Martin said.
Officials believe drinking water supplies are clean because of the region's geography and the distance between wells and the waste-water treatment plant.
Martin said both Fresno and Clovis are on the east side of the Valley, closer to the Sierra Nevada, and the mountain range's annual snowmelt naturally recharges groundwater, essentially flushing out older water into lower parts of the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno -- and its wells -- are also at a higher elevation and far from the city's wastewater treatment plant, which is southwest of the city.
The drinking water in other metropolitan areas where testing found pharmaceuticals often is drawn from the same source where treated water is discharged, places such as reservoirs or rivers.
In Fresno, treated water is discharged into the ground, but most is pumped out and used on nonfood crops and for city landscaping. The plant's elevation is well below areas where potable-water pumps are located.
Still, in 2003 and 2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required the city to test a 25-square-mile area around the wastewater treatment plant, Martin said. Though the test was not specifically for pharmaceuticals, none were found in the test, he said.
Asked whether there was a chance pharmaceuticals could be found in Fresno's drinking water, Martin said: "The same possibility as being struck by lightning in the next 30 seconds."
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Lesson: Understanding How Pharmaceuticals Get Into Our Tap Water. Pay attention, Lon Martin.
People take pills/medications; hospitals, homes, everywhere. Prescription and non-prescription. Some people abuse drugs. Pills, drugs, chemicals - they are everywhere! Once ingested into the system, only a portion of these drugs/chemicals are absorbed by our bodies. The rest passes through in human waste, which is flushed down the toilet. And lets not forget about all the people who dispose of unused and/or expired medications by flushing them down the toilet.
The water is sent to wastewater treatment plants, before returning to us in our tap water. Unfortunately, most treatments do not / cannot remove all drug residue. See the cycle in animation by clicking on this link: CLICK HERE!
Boasting about location being a benefit to filtering our water might have been true at one time. Not now. The secret altering of the city's water system entails ongoing discharging of toxic, disease-carrying raw sewage followed by unknown chemicals for the eradication of sewer roaches, sewer rats, and mosquito infestations, all of which is seeping into the groundwater. The group behind this is not licensed or authorized - no safety precautions being used.
Human waste+ pesticides = nitrates. Sewage back spills increase the levels of nitrates in tap water. The level of nitrates in Fresno's tap water has become so high that pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems are advised not to drink it! Boiling it increases the hazard! Nitrates in Fresno's Tap Water
Lon Martin goes on to say that the chances of Fresno having pharmaceuticals in our water is, "The same possibility as being struck by lightning in the next 30 seconds." And I say, PROVE IT! Pharmaceuticals are found in tap water across the nation - how ridiculous to even imply that Fresno's water would not contain such things. Take a look at the neighboring cities.
It appears that there is a serious problem taking place in Fresno / Clovis, CA that entails unknown chemicals/drugs being administered without people's (including children) knowledge or consent. To verify this would require having our water and/or sewage tested for pharmaceuticals. Now re-read the above article and see what comfort Mr. Martin's words bring.
Residents need to stand up and demand their rights - the water needs to be tested by an OUTSIDE, reputable company.