I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5548 

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 

conduct a study on the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care 

products in sources of drinking water. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 18, 2018 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a study on the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in sources of 

drinking water. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Water, Cosmetics, and 

5 Unwanted Pharmaceuticals Study Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PRESENCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL 

2 CARE PRODUCTS IN SOURCES OF DRINKING 

3 WATER. 

4 Subsection (a) of section 1442 of the Safe Drinking 

5 Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–1) is amended by adding at 

6 the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(11) PRESENCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PER8 SONAL CARE PRODUCTS IN SOURCES OF DRINKING

9 WATER.— 

10 ‘‘(A) STUDY.—The Administrator shall carry 

11 out a study on the presence of pharmaceuticals and 

12 personal care products in sources of drinking water, 

13 which shall— 

14 ‘‘(i) identify pharmaceuticals and personal 

15 care products that have been detected in 

16 sources of drinking water and the levels at 

17 which such pharmaceuticals and personal care 

18 products have been detected; 

19 ‘‘(ii) identify the sources of pharma20 ceuticals and personal care products in sources 

21 of drinking water, including point sources and 

22 nonpoint sources of pharmaceutical and per23 sonal care products; 

24 ‘‘(iii) identify the effects of such pharma25 ceuticals and personal care products on huVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:50 Apr 20, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5548.IH H5548

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1 mans, the environment, and the safety of drink2 ing water; and 

3 ‘‘(iv) identify methods to control, limit, 

4 treat, or prevent the presence of such pharma5 ceuticals and personal care products. 

6 ‘‘(B) CONSULTATION.—The Administrator shall 

7 conduct the study described in subparagraph (A) in 

8 consultation with the Secretary of Health and 

9 Human Services (acting through the Commissioner 

10 of Food and Drugs), the Director of the United 

11 States Geological Survey, the heads of other appro12 priate Federal agencies (including the National In13 stitute of Environmental Health Sciences), and other 

14 interested stakeholders (including manufacturers of 

15 pharmaceuticals and personal care products and 

16 consumer groups and advocates). 

17 ‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after 

18 the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Ad19 ministrator shall submit to the Congress a report on 

20 the results of the study carried out under this para21 graph. 

22 ‘‘(D) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(i) The term ‘personal care product’ has 

24 the meaning given the term ‘cosmetic’ in section 


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1 201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 

2 Act. 

3 ‘‘(ii) The term ‘pharmaceutical’ has the 

4 meaning given the term ‘drug’ in section 201 of 

5 the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.’’. 

Æ 


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