Reply #6: Those would be metabolites of lithium, which may pose their own problems.

[Lance_Boyle]

Patients on lithium require at least monthly blood tests to make sure the dosage is within safe and effective limits. Putting it in the drinking water could really fuck with patients who already take lithium, and could have dose-related effects on lithium-naive people. And then there's the issue of breweries that use municipal water supply in their operations. Alcohol is typically contraindicated for patients on lithium.