drugs in our water: old story if welcome coverage

The Associated Press has just learned:

A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans...In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.

The coverage is welcome and the issues are genuine, but this has been a matter of public record for some time, accessible on the Internet. It did not take an AP investigation, although it's good this major news network is calling attention to the problem.

This quote is priceless, however:

Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed.

Well, then, try to explain it to them.