Stop Drinking Pure Water

Water is said to be the universal solvent of living matter. Sixty to seventy percent of the human body is made up of water making it one of the most indispensable commodities for the sustainability of human life. Water to the body is like oil to a car engine. It�s the magic lubricant that makes everything else in the body work. Due to a desire for wealth creation, most Ghanaians have resorted to the production of sachet water, mostly from makeshift outfits under questionable conditions. Sachet water, popularly known as pure water among Ghanaians is perceived to be more hygienic than tap water flowing in our various homes therefore nearly everyone uses it. But Mr Hadisu Alhassan, a Station Chemist at the Weija Treatment Plant of the Ghana Water Company Limited who does not buy this school of thought has refuted the claim saying the continuous consumption of sachet water has contributed to current health problems facing Ghanaians. He said conditions under which pure water is produced is below the conservative and the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for treating quality drinking water. He said chemicals used for treating drinking water need to be measured and used under the supervision of a professionally trained chemist. �These chemicals when over-used or under used will end up damaging the human body,� he said. Mr Alhassan was educating outgoing students who had their internship with the Accra East District offices of the Aqua Vitens Rand Ltd on the various processes under which potable drinking water is treated before it runs through the taps in our homes. Even though he was quick to say this motive was not to destroy people�s businesses, he questioned the quality of equipment producers� use for treating the water they term as pure water. He said there should be a water quality assurance department that would monitor the processes under which water is treated before consumed. �Most of these sachet water producers fetch from wells and already treated pipe water and add more chemicals which will end up causing harm to innocent people.� According to the station chemists, it would be prudent for people to rather boil tap water and allow it to cool down before drinking it instead of patronising sachet water. He said it is safer to drink water directly from the tap rather than unprocessed water packaged in plastic as it can be unhealthy to consumers.