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 Protec-
tion Agency to conduct a study on the presence of phar-
maceuticals and personal care products in sources of 
drinking water. 
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, Cosmetics, and 
Unwanted Pharmaceuticals Study Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PRESENCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL 
CARE PRODUCTS IN SOURCES OF DRINKING 
WATER. 
Subsection (a) of section 1442 of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j–1) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘(11) PRESENCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PER-
SONAL CARE PRODUCTS
IN SOURCES
OF DRINKING 
WATER.— 
‘‘(A) STUDY.—The Administrator shall carry 
out a study on the presence of pharmaceuticals and 
personal care products in sources of drinking water, 
which shall— 
‘‘(i) identify pharmaceuticals and personal 
care products that have been detected in 
sources of drinking water and the levels at 
which such pharmaceuticals and personal care 
products have been detected; 
‘‘(ii) identify the sources of pharma-
ceuticals and personal care products in sources 
of drinking water, including point sources and 
nonpoint sources of pharmaceutical and per-
sonal care products; 
‘‘(iii) identify the effects of such pharma-
ceuticals and personal care products on hu-
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mans, the environment, and the safety of drink-
ing water; and 
‘‘(iv) identify methods to control, limit, 
treat, or prevent the presence of such pharma-
ceuticals and personal care products. 
‘‘(B) CONSULTATION.—The Administrator shall 
conduct the study described in subparagraph (A) in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (acting through the Commissioner 
of Food and Drugs), the Director of the United 
States Geological Survey, the heads of other appro-
priate Federal agencies (including the National In-
stitute of Environmental Health Sciences), and other 
interested stakeholders (including manufacturers of 
pharmaceuticals and personal care products and 
consumer groups and advocates). 
‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after 
the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Ad-
ministrator shall submit to the Congress a report on 
the results of the study carried out under this para-
graph. 
‘‘(D) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) The term ‘personal care product’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘cosmetic’ in section 
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