30% of Drinking Water Fails Quality Standards
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Heavy metals and other contaminants have been found in water samples taken from vending machines and bottled water.
Only 70 per cent of bottled water and drinking water from vending machines passes quality standards set by the Department of Health, director general Dr Somyos Deerasamee has revealed.
"The problem lies with contamination.
Contaminants include heavy metals and bacteria," he said.
Contaminated water causes various diseases
including diarrhoea and typhoid, he said.
Even more alarming was the fact that only 40 per
cent of water from water utility services, artesian wells, rain and shallow
wells passed the department's quality requirements.
Somyos advised
people to boil or add an appropriate amount of chlorine to water before
drinking it. "Keep drinking water in clean containers. If the containers
are large, you still have to clean them every six months."
He said people who
use water purifiers should regularly replace the filters.
The safest way to ensure your bottled water is up to
standard is to stick to products certified by the Food and Drug Administration.
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