Blue-colored water gallons sit for hours in open trucks exposed to the sun while they are being delivered to stores, homes, and schools around the city. In most places the gallons are kept in unhygienic storage rooms for days by owners, making it extremely unsafe for consumption. — Courtesy photo Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH – Water is the most valuable natural resource on Earth and also the most abundant and important substance in the planet and human body where it is the primary component of all bodily fluids - blood, lymph, digestive juices, urine, tears, and sweat. Bodily functions, such as circulation, digestion, absorption, elimination, and respiration, cannot take place without the presence of water. The pressing dilemma surrounding this all important nutrient is: What type of water should I drink? Very common in the Kingdom are the large, blue water gallons which are flipped atop a water cooler in the home or office to give instant cold and hot water. For convenience, companies dispatch truckloads of water gallons to your doorstep to exchange your empty gallons for filled ones at prices ranging from SR2 per gallon to SR11. Although the water has been treated and deemed safe for human consumption, several health concerns still exist regarding this source of drinking water. “As these trucks are driven around in broad daylight for several hours, especially on hot summer days when temperatures can reach as high as 40 degrees, this sunlight exposure may cause toxic plastic compounds from the bottles to leach into the drinking water. The effect of such plastic compounds on human health is still under study and they could be harmful,” said water sanitation engineer Muhammad Khalid. One of the toxins that could end up in drinking water from these bottles is DEHA (diethylhyroxylamine), which is potentially carcinogenic and has been found to cause weight loss, liver problems, and reproductive difficulties. This toxin appeared in some water samples from reused plastic water gallons. Dr. Reem Al-Athmi, head of a local laboratory in Jeddah said, “In the absence of strict and frequent inspection of the water filling factories by government health authorities, the health and purity of the drinking water is uncertain. “The neck (nozzle), or top part of these blue water gallons are actually difficult to clean because of their size and shape. This raises several concerns and the cleanliness and safety of the water becomes questionable. In one sample that we had tested, traces of coliform bacillus (fecal bacteria) were detected; it was only present in one sample among hundreds others but this occurrence is still unacceptable.” Buying bottled water to avoid such hazards can prove to be very costly and there are still health risks involved. Recently, the National Resources Defense Council in the United States published the results of a four-year study in which researchers tested more than 1,000 samples of 103 brands of bottled water and the found that an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle — sometimes further treated, sometimes not. Chlorine is used in tap water and also in most bottled water companies as a disinfectant to rid the water of unhealthy bacteria and other microorganisms. Studies have found that when chlorine mixes with organic matter in water, it forms trihalomethanes, which have been linked with various types of cancer, kidney and liver damage, immune system dysfunction, disorders of the nervous system, and hardening of the arteries. If you do choose to purchase the smaller bottled water, be sure to read the labels and pick brands that use the method of ozonation rather than chlorination to purify the water. As for the large blue water gallons, Al-Athmi recommends signing up with the more expensive companies that charge about SR 11 per gallon because these companies are more reliable, change their filters regularly, routinely test their water, and can guarantee drinking water free of microbes and heavy metals. She suggests using these types of water gallons that come from well-known companies with a good, solid reputation and also stocking up on some bottled water as well. One viable solution to the whole drinking water predicament may be installing a water filter system in your home that operates with a combination of the reverse osmosis process and carbon filter. The start-up cost is approximately SR 2,000 and requires changing of the filters every four months, which entails a cost of only SR80 each change. “The water filling factories may delay in regularly changing their water filters, but in your home you control changing the filters, which should be done every 4 months. The reverse osmosis and carbon block filter system remove any toxic heavy metals such as lead. The filter also removes nitrates and other agricultural pollutants, dissolved solids, organic chemicals, and mineral salts such as calcium, copper, sodium, and more. The filter also regulates the pH of the water, keeping it at an ideal of 7. Installation of a home water filter system is cost effective and healthy,” explained Muhammad Khalid. Since the water filtration system uses no more energy than is already required to propel water through the home's plumbing system, they circumvent several of the energy problems faced by the bottled water industry. From an environmental standpoint, the only disadvantage to the reverse osmosis filter system is that it wastes water. The filter unit produces several gallons of waste water per gallon of drinking water, depending on the unit's efficiency. “Even if a water filter system was fixed in the home, I would still advise regular sampling of the water at a professional laboratory for its chemical composition. Landlords and home owners should be compelled to regularly clean and examine the water tanks on top of apartment buildings or in homes to remove any potentially hazardous contaminants such as dirt, debris, and other waste,” added Al-Athmi.
