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| Sunday, 8 June 2003 |
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Beware of bottled water by Shanika Sriyananda Along with SMS, fancy ring tones and cute mobile phones 'Bottled Mineral Water' is the 'in' thing these days. It's hip to ask for bottled water at restaurants instead of the humble tap water. But next time you decide to pocket out Rs. 50 for a bottle of mineral water pause for a minute to consider, just how hygienic the content is. For believe it or not, the water you consider to be safe may have been filled from the Beira Lake - one of the dirtiest lakes in Colombo, or from a nearby tap. The Slave Island Police recently arrested a man who had been engaged in filling bottles with contaminated water from the Beira Lake and selling them to unsuspecting consumers. According to police reports, the man had refrigerated the water, before pasting false labels and sealing the bottles with plastic covers. He had then sold the bottles at market prices. Police also revealed that the man had been carrying on his lucrative 'water' business or a long time with his popular haunt being the Galle Face Green. The incident is only a case in point, but demand for 'bottled water' among Sri Lankans and the high demand among foreigners is fast growing. The Ministry of Health is now in the process of implementing new regulations not only for bottled drinking water but also for bottled natural mineral water. These regulations will come into effect soon and will be introduced under the Food Act No. 26 of 1980. The main aim of the new regulations is to ensure the quality of water. Investigations carried out by the Food Control Administration Unit of the Department of Health had found over 50 per cent of bottled water sold is of poor quality and unsuitable for human consumption, since the water is obtained from unhygienic water sources. Under the new regulations, bottled water will be branded in two categories - `Bottled (packaged) Natural Mineral Water' and `Bottled (packaged) Drinking Water'. Physical, chemical and microbiological requirements for these two brands will also be specified in the regulations. S. Nagaiah, Chief Food and Drug Inspector, Department of Health said that at present no one was allowed to import, distribute and manufacture bottle water without obtaining a registration from the Chief Food Authority. " Especially, `Bottle Mineral Water' should that is extracted from natural or drilled sources like springs, wells or boreholes. The `Bottled Drinking Water' should originate from specific environmental resources", he said. The new regulations strictly state that the water under both brands should be free from pollutants such as bacteria, viruses, fertilizers, hydrocarbons, pesticides, detergents, toxic metals, radio active substances and any other soluble organic and inorganic substances, specifically sugars, sweeteners, flavourings or other foodstuffs. "Water in these two brands should not be derived from the municipal system or public water supply", he stressed. According to Department sources, due to poor consumer awareness of bottled water, vendors sell used bottles by re-filling water from community water systems. " Labels on these bottles carry all the necessary details since they are once used and the only default is the unsealed lid", the sources added, saying that the Food Inspectors of the Department keep a sharp eye on these vendors who sell inferior quality bottled water. Nagaiah said that the manufacturer should guarantee that the catchment areas in the immediate surroundings of springs and wells are free from any pollutants and that water extraction, processing and packing shall be done under strict hygienic conditions. " These activities should be allowed only in the registered premises. And bottling has to be done in an enclosed area, where the air is free of dust, microorganisms and excessive moisture", he added. Nagaiah also said that all bottles in the two categories should have branded names that are clearly printed on the label, that labels also mentions the correct information about the nature, origin, composition and properties of natural mineral water. "It will be prohibited to print false details which may mislead or create confusion among the public under the new regulations", Nagaiah said. The registration number should also be printed clearly in a prominent place on the label. All those who violate the regulations will have their registration cancelled and will also be subjected to a fine. B. S. de Silva, Director Standardisation, Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) said that there were two standards for bottled water - Sri Lanka Standards specifications for (Packaging) Bottled Drinking Water and Sri Lanka Standards specifications for (Packaging) Natural Mineral Water. Eight manufacturers have been granted SLS certificates for Bottled Drinking Water, but none have been careful for Natural Mineral Water. "Several applications have been forwarded to the SLSI by the manufacturers of Natural Mineral Water, but certificates were awarded as they were not up to the Sri Lanka Standards specifications", he said. According to him, the SLSI monitors the water standards only of the bottled drinking water, which have received SLS certification. Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Colombo Municipal Council said that the Public Health officers randomly check bottled water sold in the Colombo city limits and will also commence checking up for pesticides in the water shortly. According to City Analyst, R. M. G. B. Rajanayake, CMC, over 40 bottled water samples were tested for their quality but none had failed the parametres. " We take bottled water samples from even small boutiques around the Colombo City and check 15 chemical parametres including colour, appearance, PH value, odour, electric conductivity, nitrides and free ammonia", he added. "By testing these parametres it is easy to detect the bottles which are filled with contaminated water", he said. The Food Control Unit of the CMC will do checks on public complaints. Public can direct complaints about bottled water to 676161. |
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