DRINKING WATER AND FILTRATION FARCE

IMAGES ADDED AS REQUESTED 23/11/2007

Somebody may be intersted in what they are drinking from the taps in Doha!
Copy of my email to NHA

FOR THE ATTENTION OF DR ALI, HEAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SECTION.

Your article in the Peninsula refers. The real world of water transporters is detailed below for your urgent attention. Looking forward to your quick response. The text in RED is inaccurate and greatly misleading!

(LETTER TO PENINSULA NEWSAPER 21/11/2007)
Dear Sir
DRINKING WATER AND FILTRATION FARCE
The Peninsula article about drinking water and the valiant efforts of the NHA are a farce – read on to see why! (The details in the following letter can be substantiated with dated photographs).

On 19/11/2007, in Al Gharrafa I intercepted two white water trucks reversed against a sewage manhole with hoses leading into the manhole and draining the contents of the trucks. From the smell, it was evident that raw sewage was being emptied from the trucks.

The drivers admitted they should not be emptying sewage illegally and stopped.

When questioned about the trucks marked with blue lines on a white background (the same as Drinking Water!), they said they “wash them out!” and then fill them with water.

Upon investigation, I found a truck park in Al Gharrafa where licensed water trucks (the “License” is a sticky label struck on the door, otherwise an identical truck) park next to these trucks containing raw sewage. I remember in the past, seeing water trucks parked together “decanting” water from one to the other. Obviously the licensed truck collects the water, fills the contaminated truck and then returns to collect more water. The contaminated truck then “moonlights” by collecting raw sewage.

The authorities must take action by marking all sewage trucks orange (again!) and undertaking effective checking of trucks

Qatar residents must be made aware of the massive health risks involved.

Trucks with pumps mounted on the back bumpers are SEWAGE TRUCKS, regardless of the colour of the tank. If there is no sign on the door, they MAY be drinking water trucks, but would you trust a sticky label as a guarantee that your children’s health will not be put at great risk?

AND YOUR ARTICLE….

Money down the drain
Web posted at: 11/21/2007 3:10:6
Source ::: by Mmohammed Iqbal

Dr Mohammed A Ali
Doha • Water, water everywhere. But which is the best of them all — tap, filtered or ground water — and the debate is growing in Qatar. While some companies are cashing in on selling expensive and elaborate water filters, the National Health Authority (NHA) says specialised filters are not required for tap water.
Dr Mohammed A Ali, head of the Environmental Health Section at NHA, yesterday told The Peninsula: “Water in the public supply network do not require any further treatment but need only normal filtering to remove the sediments. There are some companies promoting Reverse Osmosis (RO) filters which they claim will remove salt from desalinated water. The content of salt in tap water in Qatar is mild and such filters are not required here.”
Apart from being expensive, RO filters are difficult to maintain and if they are not maintained properly, they themselves could become a source of contamination, warned Ali. He, however, strongly recommended filtering of tap water used for internal consumption to remove “suspended matters” like dust, sand and other sediments.
He said, with the exception of a single company, all the local companies producing bottled water in Qatar are using desalinated water, with some additional filtering and treatment. The said company has been using natural well water. However, all these companies are complying with WHO standards.

An expatriate drinking water from a filter-fitted cooler yesterday. (salim matramkot)
He said, the quality of tap water in Qatar is very high at the production point, but there is a possibility for contamination at the distribution points, especially due to the poor maintenance of internal water tanks.
“We suggest that all water tanks used in houses, restaurants and other places must be cleaned properly at least in every six months. They should also be kept closed to protect against dirt coming from outside,” said Mohammed Ali.
The Environmental Health Section is responsible for checking the quality of water distributed through the public network as well as bottled water, from the point of production up to the point of consumption.
For this purpose, the department conducts regular inspections at factories, restaurants, bakeries, juice stalls, public coolers, schools, universities, public and private swimming pools, among other places.
“We collect water samples from all these places and conduct regular tests. If any problem is found with the quality of the water, we ask the concerned parties to correct it. If they fail to do it within a given time, we report the case to the authorities concerned for further action,” said Ali.
He said, the department was also concerned about the quality of public water tanks, underground reservoirs as well as the tankers used for transporting water. A set of new standards was recently issued for water tankers following recommendations submitted by the department.
As per the new directives, the drivers and other workers of a water tanker are required to procure a health certificate from NHA, which is similar to the “food handlers certificate”.
Asked about the quality of public water coolers in Qatar, Ali said: “A majority of them have been maintained properly, especially those in the mosques. We are regularly checking the quality of drinking water in public coolers in parks, gardens, schools and other places as well as the water used in private and public swimming pools. We also offer free water tests for households on request.”

Regards

Nigel Hennings
PO Box 19329
Doha
Qatar
+974 597 9567