The water that comes from the tap at the sink in your kitchen may be contaminated with the same drugs that doctors are prescribing on a day-to-day basis for some serious illnesses and disease, but you probably didn’t and won’t know it’s there.

An alarming report released by the Associated Press (AP) last week in the wake of a comprehensive investigation of drinking water quality nationwide revealed that approximately 40 million Americans are exposed to levels of various pharmaceuticals by simply drinking water from the tap. However, even more shocking is that neither the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) nor the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require that tests to detect these drugs be conducted by private water suppliers that feed water to municipalities, cities and regions.

That goes for United Water and the Passaic Valley Water Commission (PVWC), the two main companies that provide drinking water to the towns that constitute the South Bergenite coverage area. The AP reviewed scientific reports, visited study sites and treatment plants and interviewed over 200 scientists and officials during its nearly six month investigation. The organization aimed to uncover prescription drug amounts in the drinking water supplies of the 50 largest cities in the U.S. and several other community water suppliers, one being the Passaic Valley Water Commission that services 850,000 New Jersey residents, including those in North Arlington.

The AP uncovered that researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey found a metabolized angina medicine and the mood-stabilizing drug carbamazepine in the drinking water. The AP did say that most amounts of prescription drugs found nationwide were trace amounts, in parts per billion and in some cases where sophisticated technology was used for very small detection, parts per trillion.

A statement released by the PVWC encourages customers not to be overly concerned as the trace amounts of pharmaceuticals has not been proven yet to be harmful to humans.

"The fact that the substance is detectable does not mean that the substance is harmful to humans," read the statement.

The PVWC also outlined that it had recently upgraded its main water treatment facility to include sedimentation, ozone, advance oxidation and carbon filtration. The company said the process provides one of the best, multi-barrier approaches for the removal and destruction of pharmaceutical compounds. Residents, however, are not convinced or assured.

"It scares me, it really does. I don’t drink a lot of tap water, but even bottled water…I understand that too doesn’t even need to be tested for these drugs," said Christine Wenz, a North Arlington resident who is one of the thousands of customers of the PVWC. "If I needed drugs, I would go to the doctor, not to my sink."

In Lyndhurst, the township maintains its own water utility, but is supplied water by the Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority by way of United Water of Jersey City.

"As long as people are taking medication, they will get released out into the brooks, groundwater and sewers and yes they do treat sewer water, as disgusting as that seems," said the town’s Public Works Commissioner Brian Haggerty. According to the EPA, much of the prescription drugs are being found because trace amounts are released naturally by the human body, exited into wastewater and then in turn, that wastewater is treated again and purified to drinking water.

Haggerty said he reached out to United Water of Jersey City after hearing the news reported by the AP and about six phone calls later was sent a fax detailing the company’s response to the reports. United acknowledged that it does not in fact test for prescription drug presence, but said it is now in the process of monitoring the situation.

"The company is actively monitoring this matter and is involved in research through its parent company Suez Environment and through its affiliation with the AWWA [American Water Works Association] Research Foundation," read the statement.

Calls to United Water of New Jersey, which provides water from Haworth to the remaining South Bergenite coverage area towns of Carlstadt, East Rutherford and Rutherford, were not returned.

It’s not just residents and elected officials that are now scrambling for answers, local doctors are too. Dr. Grace Becz, a Rutherford pediatrician, said she has been getting questions about the investigation by concerned patients and in turn feels helpless to answering their questions. She said she has become blindsided by that fact that these drugs are even allowable in drinking water and furthermore that there are no definitive answers to what adverse health effects the drug concentrations can cause.

"Even at low concentrations, it could have an effect," said Becz. "We don’t know though and we would like to have answers. We’re very concerned, there should be more studies done on this and no reason why the water should not be tested and treated for this."

The news has prompted New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg to join forces with California Senator Barbara Boxer to call for hearing on Capitol Hill to help ascertain what safety measures should be put in place to quell the drug manifestation in drinking water.

"Our families deserve water that is clean and safe. I am deeply concerned by the findings of this study showing traces of drugs in the water in New Jersey and across the nation," said Lautenberg in a written statement. "Our hearing will examine these problems and help ensure the EPA and Congress take the steps necessary to protect our residents and clean up our water supply."

The hearings, according to Lautenberg, should commence in early April. There, the Environment and Public Works Committee plans to hold the EPA’s feet to the fire on its lax regulations pertaining to the testing of pharmaceuticals in American drinking water supplies.