I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6820 
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to con-
duct a study of the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care prod-
ucts in drinking water supplies in the United States, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 1, 2008 
Mrs. MCCARTHY
of New York (for herself, Ms. BALDWIN, and Ms. 
SCHWARTZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency to conduct a study of the presence of pharma-
ceuticals and personal care products in drinking water 
supplies in the United States, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Water Assessment and 
Treatment Evaluation Research Study Act of 2008’’ or 
the ‘‘WATER Study Act of 2008’’. 
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SEC. 2. PRESENCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL 
CARE PRODUCTS IN DRINKING WATER SUP-
PLIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency, in consultation with appro-
priate government agencies (including the National Insti-
tute of Environmental Health Sciences and the United 
States Geological Survey), shall conduct a study of the 
presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products 
(in this section referred to as ‘‘PPCPs’’) in drinking water 
supplies in the United States. 
(b) EXAMINATION OF WASTEWATER EFFLUENT AND 
RUN-OFF FROM AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS.—In iden-
tifying sources of PPCPs under the study, the Adminis-
trator shall examine wastewater effluent and run-off from 
agricultural operations. 
(c) REPORTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
submit to Congress an initial, interim, and final re-
port on the results of the study conducted under this 
section. 
(2) INITIAL REPORT.—The initial report shall 
be submitted not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act and shall at a minimum— 
(A) identify PPCPs that have been de-
tected in the drinking water supplies of the 
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United States and the levels at which such 
PPCPs have been detected; 
(B) identify the sources of PPCPs in the 
drinking waters of the United States; and 
(C) identify and evaluate methods to regu-
larly monitor the levels of PPCPs in the drink-
ing water of the United States. 
(3) INTERIM REPORT.—The interim report shall 
be submitted not later than 3 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act and shall at a minimum— 
(A) identify the effects of PPCPs in drink-
ing water supplies and other waters of the 
United States on human health and aquatic life 
at the levels at which PPCPs have been de-
tected; 
(B) identify methods and techniques to 
safely and properly dispose of unused PPCPs; 
(C) identify and evaluate methods to re-
move PPCPs from the drinking water supplies 
of the United States; 
(D) identify and evaluate ways to improve 
the treatment of water discharged from waste-
water treatment plants, including the environ-
mental and economic costs of these methods. 
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(4) FINAL REPORT.—The final report shall be 
submitted not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act and shall at a minimum— 
(A) identify the effects of long-term expo-
sure to PPCPs; 
(B) identify levels at which the PPCPs 
identified in the initial report become harmful 
to humans; 
(C) identify the effects on humans of inter-
actions between PPCPs identified in the initial 
report; and 
(D) include all information required by the 
initial report and interim report along with any 
updated information that is available on those 
requirements. 
(5) INCLUSION OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION.— 
If the Administrator has information required for a 
report under paragraph (3) or (4) at the time of 
submission of an earlier report under this sub-
section, the Administrator shall include the informa-
tion in the earlier report. 
(d) PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL CARE PROD-
UCTS DEFINED.—In this section, the terms ‘‘pharma-
ceuticals and personal care products’’ and ‘‘PPCPs’’ mean 
products used by individuals for personal health or cos-
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metic reasons, including soaps and shampoos, or used by 
agribusiness to enhance growth or health of livestock. 
Æ 
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