City leaders on Monday pressed for less government secrecy and stronger action to deal with the presence of trace pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies, as communities across the nation continue to voice unease over these contaminants.

‘‘It really is time for the national government to step up and say, ‘This is the national standard.’ When you don’t do that, you get what you get — and this is unacceptable,’‘ declared Blondell Reynolds Brown, a city councilwoman.