Are you worried about chlorine in drinking water? Did you hear about the drugs found in drinking water samples taken all over the world? Medications in the water I drink? Oh boy, what next?

You may have read the reports and felt somewhat relieved by the fact that there were only "minute" traces of drugs found in drinking water, not enough for a full dose. And, that's how water authorities wanted you to feel. They want you to believe that you are safe. They don't want to start a national or world-wide panic.

When studies were released that chlorine in drinking water was a contributing factor in a large number of new cancers every year, there was some petitioning to stop using the chemical for public disinfection purposes. Usually, it is environmentalists and consumer action groups that petition the government to "do" something. But, nothing is done.

The report about drugs found in drinking water is news to some of us, but environmental groups have been aware of the problem for years. The Environmental Protection Agency has been quietly monitoring the problem. That's how the AP investigative reporters were able to collect the data. In some areas, samples are taken regularly.

The EPA is also responsible for monitoring the level of chlorine in drinking water, but individual facility workers take the samples and report the results. The levels they report are always just under the "safe" margin. But is that really safe and are the reports accurate?

Another group of investigative reporters found that some facilities "throw out" the highest readings, in order to get a pass from the EPA. When it comes to the drugs found in drinking water, most facilities are not required to test for them.

When it comes to chlorine in drinking water, they are required to test on a quarterly basis and report the "highs and lows". The problem is that the levels can change on a daily basis. It could exceed the maximum safe level at any time and no one would know.

When it comes to the toxic metal lead, facilities are required to test homes that are considered "at-risk". But, sometimes they don't and sometimes they throw out the results. In one instance, the facility claimed that the homeowner did not follow the correct protocol and did not request retesting.

When the homeowner was contacted, she said that they followed the instructions exactly and were never contacted by the facility concerning the results. The lead problem is directly related to the presence of chlorine in drinking water. The chemical erodes the pipes and allows lead that was used to make them to seep into the water, as it passes through the piping.

Before the reports about the hormones and drugs found in drinking water were released, there were numerous scientific reports about fish mutations that were caused by exposure to human hormones in the rivers, oceans and bays. Now, we know that those hormones increase the growth of cancer cells in the laboratory.