Pharmaceutical Pollution in Private Drinking Water and Septic Systems

Safe drinking water is a priority for public health. Around 13% of the population of the United States gets their drinking water from a private well, and around 25% use a septic system as a form of onsite wastewater treatment. Both private wells and septic systems directly affect the quality of groundwater; septic systems contribute to the risk of contamination, especially in areas where the soil is not properly equipped to filter contaminants. An emerging contaminant of global concern is pharmaceuticals in the environment and how they impact organisms. Pharmaceuticals can enter the environment through a few different pathways such as wastewater. Pharmaceuticals can enter the environment through the soil or water in private systems like septics. Examining private water systems will help mitigate the growing concern of pharmaceutical pollution and how pharmaceuticals can lead to more threats such as the spread of antimicrobial resistance. This paper acts as an overview of private water systems and pharmaceuticals in these private systems.