Quality of packaged drinking water to be tested

Samples will be lifted from all the 32 manufacturing units in the district

High demand during the last several months has led to many units selling poor quality water

Following directives from the National Green Tribunal, officials from the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) have started taking samples from packaged drinking water units across the district.

The team including T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, and K. Sumithra Bai, Assistant Engineer, TNPCB has so far collected 19 samples from units in Mettur, Salem, Attur, and Omalur.

“Samples will be collected from all the 32 units in the district and will be sent to Food Analysis Laboratory in Guindy, Chennai, for microbiological and chemical analysis,” said Ms. Anuradha.

She said that the collection of samples would be completed by August 30 and a report would be submitted to the Commissioner of Food Safety by September 4. Of the 32 units, five units manufacture flavoured water. She said that based on the report, units would be categorised as A (safe), B (substandard, not unsafe, and not harmful to health), C (substandard, unsafe, and harmful to health), and D (unsafe and harmful to health).

About 3.5 lakh litres of water was processed in the units in the district and distributed to consumers.

Because of higher demand in the last several months, many units were found selling water without meeting the quality norms. Hence samples were taken from five units and were sent to the laboratory in Guindy. Two samples met with the norms and were found to be ‘standard’ while three samples were found to be ‘substandard.’

Those companies were asked to rectify the deficiencies.