Public health: Does treated wastewater pose risks?

Re: “Fans of weird local science, you’re in luck,” (TNT editorial, 12/5).

It’s interesting that Professor Dan Burgard is testing Tacoma sewer water for psychotropic drugs and tracking changes.

My questions, though, are and have been for many years: What is actually coming out of the wastewater treatment plants, and what post-treatment testing is being done for these same drugs, antibiotics, cancer treatments, hormone therapies, etc.?

I recall some recent studies of Puget Sound salmon stocks have shown drug levels, so it seems that the “treatment” is less than completely effective.

We also believe that most of “therapeutic” drugs are broken down by the body. How much, and into what?

So, what is actually being passed along through our water systems, and comes back to us? Can second-hand water be as hazardous as second-hand smoke?

This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Public health: Does treated wastewater pose risks?."