To measure or not to measure? That’s the question City of Red Deer staff are grappling with, regarding levels of pharmaceutical drugs in our water systems.
Trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs have been found in Canadian drinking water, and have also been expelled into wastewater.
These low amounts have not resulted in any provincial or federal guidelines, and based on the available information, it’s perfectly safe to consume drinking water.
But Tim Ainscough, environmental services manager for the City of Red Deer, would like to raise public awareness about the importance of not dumping leftover prescription drugs down the drain or flushing them down the toilet.
While it’s unavoidable that some pharmaceuticals that are in our system are expelled through the urine stream, Ainscough wants the public to know that pouring extra medications down the sink is unacceptable and adds to the problem.
Red Deer’s wastewater treatment plant is not designed to treat pharmaceuticals, he noted.
Ainscough told city council in Tuesday that he will be monitoring industry and Health Canada research about the potential impact on the watershed — including evaluating any mitigating strategies if needed.
The City of Red Deer will delay setting a standard for pharmaceutical levels in water until there’s more scientific research available on the impacts on health and the environment.