How safe is the water we drink?

Drinking water supplied to a large number of households and shops in Manama is unhealthy and unhygienic, according to apparent evidence. Apart from the seemingly dirty containers and bottles used in storing and delivering water, many of the containers also had holes and were left exposed in the open on the streets.

According to sources, illegal drinking water suppliers have been mixing tap water with ‘sweet water’ in a 50% ratio. The tap water is not purified in any way and is thought to be added for adulteration, sources said. The tanker truck delivering the water have mold formation inside, according to claims. A Bahraini citizen, who is a resident of Manama, said he has resorted sealed containers or water after being suspicious about the quality of “sweet water”.

“I started noticing how dirty the bottles they used to deliver were. One day as I opened the bottle and looked behind the cap, I saw something green which very much looked like mold or bacteria. “I tried to wipe it off and it clung to my hand, at this point I was sure that it was mold and that it would be unwise to drink it. This is when I stopped drinking water that is refilled from these shops. It is unhygienic and I do not want to put my health in danger.

“Initially, when I found out about this I tried to warn people and tried to complain but I could not make a long lasting impact. I kept myself safe by avoiding it but I could not make an impact for other people. “However, after reading the news in Tribune recently about the two boys who died after drinking contaminated water that came from out of an unhygienic water tank, I once again decided to speak out.

“Now I am doubly conscious about the water I consume. Many of the cheap restaurants will give you free water which they pour out of a jug. Just imagine the process it goes through before it reaches your glass. “First of all they buy from these free visa suppliers who do not keep their containers clean, secondly they keep the water in their tank, which is also dirty.

“Unlike food, water is much easier to pollute. Food can be cleaned by washing off with water while water cannot be cleaned in such a manner. They are playing with the lives of the people by distributing such water,” he warned. According to sources, gangs of ‘free-visa’ workers control the water supply business.

“This is basically an illegal business as they don’t have any approval from the health authorities. “They earn a profit of minimum BD10 per day or more in most cases, so they are quite happy to continue doing this. This is a business that expatriates manage, although the vehicle belongs to Bahrainis, who allow them to do this. “These workers would pay a monthly amount to the Bahrainis to be able to run and profit from the business. The expatriates are often free visa workers, they do not work under a company name or own a licence,” the sources added.