SCOTTISH WATER has moved to ease fears that prescription drugs such as those used for treating cancer could get into drinking water.

In England and Wales the environment department said water is to be sampled after a study last year by the Drinking Water Inspectorate which recommended surveying UK drinking water for drugs such as “cytotoxic” medications, which could be excreted by people being treated for cancer.

Scottish Water said they had not been asked to take samples but would be happy to do so if required.

It has been confirmed little of Scotland’s drinking water supply comes from rivers, and therefore there is virtually no chance of it being affected.

Last year’s study used modelling to show there was no significant risk from pharmaceuticals in the water supply under even the worst case scenarios.

But there are some concerns cytotoxic drugs, which are toxic to cells, could pose a risk to health, or to babies in the womb which might be vulnerable to low levels of the substances.

To back up last year’s study the department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) has commissioned scientists to test water at intake points on rivers and after it has been treated.

However, a Scottish Water spokesperson said, “We are fortunate in Scotland that the majority of our water is not abstracted from rivers. We have a steady supply of natural water sourced from a wide range of reservoirs, springs and boreholes.

The Scottish Water spokes- person added, “Water in Fife is supplied by upland reservoirs and is not abstracted from rivers.”

A Defra spokeswoman said there was no question over the safety of tap water.

Concern has previously been raised about the presence of oestrogen, excreted by women taking contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy, in the water, which has been shown to impact on fish and mammal species.