MAKKAH — Some water bottling plants in Jeddah do not comply with hygienic standards and deliver low-quality water at cheap rates to customers. A number of customers pointed out that these plants sell a bottle of water at prices as low as SR3. They called on authorities to take stringent penal action against those plants, which are putting the health of consumers in danger, Al-Madinah daily reported. Khaled Ali, a citizen, could not believe his eyes when he read a promotion sticker from a water bottling plant in Aziziyah District stuck on his car. The sticker said: “SR3 for a bottle of water and free delivery." He rushed to the bottling plant, carrying a number of empty big bottles to refill them. But he changed his mind when he saw the plant was operating in complete unhygienic conditions. Ali called for intensifying inspection raids on such bottling plants. There are a number of bottling plants operating in violation of hygienic standards and technical specifications. Most of these plants are located in south Jeddah. Their violations include unhygienic storage, filter process and filling of drinking water, filthy floors, operating in areas with a huge concentration of sewage and rodents, unhygienic workers and missing details such as the name and address of the plant and its license number on stickers pasted on bottles. Adnan Qandus, a consumer, said he was a long time consumer of water from a bottling plant. He said: “When I experienced a variation in the taste of water, I went to the plant to know how the process of filtration and filling takes place. I saw workers performing their jobs in unhygienic conditions, which prompted me to stop buying water from that plant. “Now, I am the customer of another plant at a comparatively higher rate, but at least it is hygienic." Anees Othman, another consumer, shares the same experience. “When a worker, who is also the sales representative of a bottling plant, knocked at my door and promised me home delivery of a bottle for SR4, I readily agreed. After a few months, my family found some variation in the taste of water,” he said adding that he found the plant operating in filthy conditions when he visited it. Nasser Al-Mansour underlined the need for carrying out awareness campaigns among consumers against falling in the trap of such low-quality bottling plants. An employee at a bottling plant in the Kandra District said: “We charge SR2 for filling a bottle of 10 or 20 liters, and the charge is SR3 for home delivery. All the people in the neighborhood, including owners of eateries, are our customers and there is nothing to worry about.” The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has instructed all bottling plants in the Kingdom to abide by hygiene regulations. It has directed the mayoralties and municipalities to carry out periodic inspections on these plants to ensure their abidance of regulations.
