User:WrennThurston431
Water is among the most abundant commodities of man and occupies about 70% of the earth's surface, yet a greater number of the world's population do without use of safe drinking water, especially in the developing countries. The importance of good quality drinking water cannot be overemphasized. In many developing countries, availability of water has turned into a critical and urgent problem and it is dependent on great concern to families and communities depending on non-public water supply system.
The supply of portable water towards the rural and urban human population is essential to prevent health hazards. Unsafe water is a global public health threat, placing persons at risk for a number of diseases in addition to chemical intoxication. It's been reported that more than two million persons, mostly children under five years old, die of diarrheal diseases and based on the WHO (2004), nearly 90% of diarrhea-related deaths have been attributed to unsafe or inadequate water supplies and sanitation. The WHO estimated in 2006 that 1.1 billion persons lack use of clean water.
What is 'Pure Water'?
Nigeria is located in coastal West Africa where water is abundant, yet the majority of the population lacks adequate and safe drinking water. Consequently, those who are able to afford it now sink boreholes then sell water, without any major form of treatment, towards the ever-growing population. Many people and company bodies in Nigeria now engage in packaging water in polyethene sachets around 50-60cl popularly called 'pure water' that they sell to the general public. Thus, drinking water is commercially accessible in such easy-to-open sachets. The development, marketing and consumption of sachet water have raised tremendously. There are now several brands of this sachet water marketed in Nigeria along with other developing countries.
Why Should We Get worried?
In Nigeria, public drinking water supply is unreliable thereby encouraging the sale of h2o in polyethene sachets due to its availability and affordability. However, there's worry about the purity of water in sachets. The integrity of the environment and the conditions under which the majority of the sachets are made are questionable because many who are involved in its production do not follow the standards set by WHO (2006) and also the Federal Epa, FEPA (1999). Good quality water is supposed to be colorless, odorless, and tasteless as well as being free from microbial and chemical contaminants. Majority of the consumers tend to be more worried about the appearance and taste water compared to invisible load of possibly damaging microorganisms along with other contaminants that may be contained in water.
Recently and in the past, plenty of researches have been done in parts of the country to determine the purity of sachet water, and most from the results point towards the same conclusion: our what are known as 'pure water' may not be completely safe for drinking. The outcomes of most from the studies on sachet water to determine purity and safety have more often than not churned up evidence of microbial and in some cases chemical contaminants.
Regulatory Body
The National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is an agency from the Nigerian government faced with regulating the manufacture and sale of food, drugs and cosmetics in the country and by extension, has oversight of the packaged water industry. NAFDAC itself continues to be criticized for neglecting to adequately police the industry. Some information mill recognized to submit fake samples in order to pass NAFDAC tests and gain a number plate, however sell untreated tap water labeled as pure. Others merely imprint an entirely fake NAFDAC number on their packaging. Another area which NAFDAC has also neglected may be the channel of distribution from the sachet water. There is evidence this sachet water get contaminated after leaving production sites while in the hands of distributors, and vendors/hawkers because of poor handling and storage.
The way in which Forward
A great deal is considered but not much continues to be done concerning the quality of the sachet water in distribution in developing countries. Some have proposed an overall total ban on sachet water, but proponents of this idea need to consider the institutional inadequacies in public places water supply and also the huge economic benefits of sachet water. However, activities of regulatory agencies ought to be intensified to ensure compliance with standards. Regulatory activities that promote core hygiene values (e.g., hand washing, general cleanliness of storage environment and vendor containers) along with a proper handling culture could produce the desired improvements. The main focus needs to shift from only the monitoring from the end-product because this doesn't necessarily give a truth in terms of microbiological risk assessment. The distribution methods and channels need also come under the radar. There is also requirement for public sensitization and monitoring/regulating of sachet water vendors.
