Despite the deteriorating quality of drinking water, domestic water purifiers do not have any common standards to follow. Top brands draft a charter
Despite the deteriorating quality of drinking water, domestic water purifiers do not have any common standards to follow. Top brands draft a charter
You can go to a consumer court with a contaminated cold drink bottle challenging its manufacturer about its quality but can't do so if your water purifier fails to clean your drinking water. This discrepancy in a country that sees 1,600 deaths every day caused by impure drinking water. That's about the number of casualties of four to five plane crashes in a day!
But other than posting this sensational piece of data, acquired by the World Health Organisation in a survey, on its website, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare doesn't seem to be much bothered. "India doesn't have government regulated standards to be followed by domestic water purifier makers.
There is no Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) rules for water purifying units. The BIS only certifies packaged drinking water," said W Subramaniam, vice-president of EverythingAbout Water, a solution provider on water, which recently organised an exhibition, EverythingAboutWater Expo, at Pragati Maidan to raise awareness about the issue. A charter of standards according to norms of the United States Environmental Protection Agency was also prepared at the exhibition by top water-purifier manufacturers to be presented to the government.
"The main threat is from the numerous Chinese brands which are available at very competitive prices. Also, the general perception that a purifier with reverse osmosis technique (RO) is the best is not always correct. A cheaper alternative is the ultra violet method of purifying that can serve the purpose in some cases. But with no product options for removing all types of impurities, most of the times a RO purifier is forced upon the ignorant consumer," added Subramaniam.
Top domestic purifier brands, meanwhile, stress they follow global standards. "We are following the best international standards of water purification. Our machines can compete with the best in the world," said Marzin Shroff, senior vice-president, strategy of Eureka Forbes, one of the market leaders.
Delhi's water quality has always been debatable. "Last month, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had to suspend its supply for two to three days because the ammonia content in the river water had increased beyond drinkable limits," said Subramaniam.
The solution is simple. Before you install a water purifier, test it with chemical-coated strips that are easily available at hardware shops and are often used by construction companies. Or you can always take a sample to be tested at a laboratory. Even DJB offers this service.
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