• Government has previously named, shamed companies selling unsafe water
BACKYARD bottled water suppliers are selling products that do not meet set Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) expectations, Zim Morning Post has heard.
Neatly packed but unsafe bottled water has become a hit in most parts of the country, particularly in Harare.
Recently, a government laboratory found that bottled water labels trading under Ad Life, Well Pure, Aqua Crystal, Century and Revive had harmful organisms in them and were, therefore, deemed unsafe for human consumption, while those sold under brand names Leau Choisie and Aqualite had high chemical compositions.
The companies distanced themselves from the allegations, with some saying unscrupulous individuals were picking up their used bottles and repacking bottled water.
A senior employee with Government Analyst Laboratory in a report said water flowing from Harare City Council taps was also unsafe for human consumption, amid speculation it contained some cancerous substances.
Raphael Nyamande, an expert in conducting laboratory tests, said for any brand of water to be considered potable, it had to contain negligible amounts of harmful living organisms and chemical components.
Mafaro Mugwagwa, a traveller from South Africa, told Zim Morning Post at Roadport in Harare that she vomited immediately after consuming bottled water she had bought from a vendor.
“When I visited my doctor. I was told I had ingested a poisonous substance. It became obvious to me that it was the bottled water I had bought and consumed from a vendor on arrival from South Africa,” Mugwagwa said.
“I appeal to the authorities to assist because soon, we may end up buying bottled water straight from Mukuvisi river,” she said.
Efforts to get comment from SAZ, on who the recommended suppliers of authentic bottled water were, did not succeed.