Is your bottled water safe to drink?

Water is life, there is no doubt about that. But Carol Kasujja found out that not all the bottled water on the market is healthy for you

Taking water is an excellent way to keep your mind sharp and your body in top shape, but do you know what kind of water you are drinking?

According to a report by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), almost 50% of the total water supplied in the name of ‘mineral’ or purified’ water is not certified and thus happens to be counterfeit.”

According to UNBS, there are only 27 brands certified by the bureau, yet there are over 48 brands on the market. Almost a quarter of people who drink bottled water say they do so because they believe it is safe for them.

What they may not realise is that due to the demand for this ‘safe’ water, some unscrupulous people are taking advantage of the market growth to produce water of questionable standards.

“There is a daily demand of bottled water, but we are warning the public to first check the bottle of the water before drinking and find out whether it has the right UNBS quality mark because not all bottled mineral water is healthy,” says Barbara Kamusiime, the UNBS spokesperson.

“Most of the mineral water is packed by unregulated and unauthorised suppliers. Some water in the eastern and western parts of Uganda has bacterial and toxic chemicals which are dangerous to people’s lives,” she adds.

Kamusiime notes that the absence of a bottled water policy has allowed individuals to penetrate the market with sub-standard products, risking the health of unsuspecting consumers.

What to look out for

Kamusiime explains that every bottled mineral water must have a visible expiry and manufacturing date and contacts indicated on the bottle. If the water you are buying does not have those, do not drink it. Chances are that it is fake.

Water that is made in Uganda must have a quality mark by UNBS in bold letters. “Not every word that reads UNBS is true. The UNBS mark has a ‘Q’ and ‘S’ mark,” she says.

Before you buy or drink the water, check the stickers. Some people duplicate registered brand names and try to change the middle letters.

The packaging is the same as the certified water, but when you check the labelling, it reads something else. She gives an example of Rwenzori mineral water which people duplicate into ‘Rwenzori’.

Always check the seal, cap and the bottle. Some conmen can afford to fake the name of a certified brand, but then fail to get the actual bottle. Check the bottle and do not drink water that has no seal, the water might not be purified.

All certified water must have ingredients like calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, sodium, and potassium, zinc, fluoride, iron and chloride. Take time and check the ingredients if there is a list provided.

Kamusiime says: “People are at risk of respiratory, kidney and digestive health diseases due to consumption of non-treated water.

“We call upon all people who are selling mineral water to check the brands they give to people. We will soon conduct raids and anyone found supplying fake water will be arrested and charged in court. We cannot compromise on health issues because water is a necessity,” she says.

Valid UNBS certified water companies as of June 2012. Click to view