Everyone has to worry about drugs in tap water, because the biggest problem is this. Most facilities do not test for them. That's one of the pieces of information that was passed on to us by the Associated Press. But, there was more.

Several years ago, USA Today published a story about facilities that "cheat a little" to pass Environmental Protection Agency standards. Thanks to the "Freedom of Information Act", we know a lot more than we used to about how local, state and federal authorities work. Of course, we have a lot more to worry about.

The recent AP stories about drugs in tap water also supported the USA Today findings. Providers lie and cheat. When asked if they tested for drugs, one facility said "no". But the reporters found out that testing WAS done.

Facilities don't have to cheat when it comes to drugs in tap water. The EPA does not have standards for their presence. They're not required to test and if they do, they don't have to report results.

If they do test, they don't inform the public, because they think we won't know how to interpret the information. You know, all anyone would have to say is get a purification system for your home. If you get a high quality product, you won't have to worry about what's in your glass.

The facilities do an adequate job at removing bacteria and when there is a problem, they typically inform the public. Of course, sometimes people get sick before they realize there's a problem.

I really don't understand why anyone would drink from a faucet without a filter. Effective purifiers are not expensive. Basically, anyone can afford one.

You probably have a TV, a stereo, a DVD player and lots of other things in your house that cost a lot more. Maybe you think buying bottled is a better idea. But, if there are drugs in tap water, then it's in those bottles, too.

30-40% of the bottling companies use municipally treated water. That's tap water.

Besides, it's not just about what you drink, it's about what you cook with and use to wash fruits and vegetables. It's about what you brush your teeth with and shower in. The EPA advises that tiny parasitic cysts can be present in any system and any bottle. Only a point-of-use submicron filter will remove them.

Researchers have found that exposure to cancer causing trihalomethanes (THMs) occurs in the shower and is released when boiling unfiltered tap-water in the kitchen. THMs are created when chlorine is used to kill bacteria. Read your local treatment facilities quality report and you'll see them listed. They can only be removed by adsorption.

So, there's a lot more than drugs in tap water and there are a lot of reasons to buy a home purifier. Be sure to compare product performance and look for a multi-stage design that removes the widest range of contaminants. You don't need expensive reverse osmosis, but you do need a high quality system.

The next time you read about drugs in tap water, you won't have to worry about it.