How to Drink Drug-Free Tap Water

During distillation, water is boiled, then the steam is collected and turned back to water. Polluters that turn easily to gas, like chlorine, might not be left behind, but just about everything else will be. Dr. Sears estimates that it takes care of 98% of the contaminants in water.

Distillers for the home aren't especially common. Sylvan Source makes one that can process six gallons of water a day and doesn't have the continuing cost of replacement filters. The downside: It weighs 85 pounds and costs as much as $3,800.

Dr. Greene points out that babies are at their most vulnerable for the first six months, and suggests that the environmental indulgence of buying bottled water that's distilled might be justified until the kids are little bigger. Deer Park, Ice Mountain and Ozarka, all Nestlé brands, bottle distilled water.

To make up for the environmental incursion of buying water, you can opt for multigallon drums that sit on your counter or in your refrigerator and use less plastic than dozens of small bottles. You can be sure to recycle, or if you have the water delivered to your house (Ozarka costs about $30 a month for 20 gallons), you can hand back the empties when you're done.

Meanwhile, for a more long-term solution to this emerging problem, get in touch with your local water authority and tell them you want to know about drugs in your water and how they're improving their water processing to get them out. And call your regional EPA office to let it know you want to see the agency implement standards and reporting requirements for pharmaceuticals in water, just as they do for other substances.

Now that this subject has come to light, let's hope water authorities and the EPA will begin to address it.

After all, you shouldn't have to worry when your toddler comes looking for a late-night glass of water.

>To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints