JEDDAH, 2 May 2004 — The Committee for Drinking Water Factories in the Western region has warned about dealing with several water refilling stores in Jeddah.
According to the committee, these stores are selling unhygienic water in blue containers to convince customers that the water is from wells or has been treated.
The committee was surprised to find the stores open after having been closed down due to violation of regulations.
The committee said these stores are selling desalinated water as treated mineral water. The water is first treated using filters — infrequently changed or sterilized — and then bottled in containers that are simply washed. Another violation of water regulations is that the bottles are manually filled instead of using an automated system.
Several citizens demanded that the authorization to issue licenses be removed from the municipality and given to the Ministry of Water. Municipal officials say there are regulations and health criteria which drinking water factories or stores should abide by, including having the water checked by a microbiologist and a chemical laboratory to ensure quality.
They said cooperation with the traffic administration is being worked out to stop water sales via water trucks.
Municipal inspectors recently caught 24 violating stations and were fined SR1,000. The fine is doubled for repeated violations, Al-Eqtisadiah reported.
The committee demanded that all water containers bear stickers stating its source in an effort to place more responsibility on the processing companies.
