By Alberto Aldrete Valdez

Bottled water has become very popular because of its better taste when compared to tap water. However, there can be irregularities in the process.

The war for water for human consumption pivots on “flavor vs. price”. The water is cheap but the consumers don’t trust it completely. Bottled water is more expensive, but there are people that prefer it even though they don’t meet the requirements.

It seems like the problem is cultural. Even in the further ends of the town, such as the peripherals neighborhoods where the buying power is lower, people still buy bottled water. There are families that still drink from the tap because that is their custom and they don’t get sick. The water purifying plants in Puerto Penasco have earned a place in the minds of the consumers, and the high demand for water has increased the number of plants. A decade ago there were less than 10; three years ago there were 18. According to the Chief of Sanitary Risks Unit Roberto Karam Gutierrez there are now currently 26 registered plants. People trust the purity of the water, but it also denotes a certain economic status.

In Puerto Penasco and in almost all cities in the country there has been a boom of bottling plants – 26 for a community like this one is too much.

According to Karam Gutierrez, Sanitary Regulations verify the operations of these plants. They have suspended and even closed some plants because they have detected leaks in their systems. Another plant lied about its filtration process, which resulted in poor quality. Those plants have already reopened because they corrected the anomalies. Karam Gutierrez kept the names private because their bosses have prohibited it. Karam Gutierrez said that if someone requires that information, then they can ask for it in writing through the Law of Transparency.

Contrary to the PROFECO’s position of publicizing the names of the companies that are sanctioned for prices, the health authorities have traditionally hidden the information of the sanctioned water plants. That would serve as a lesson to the owners and as a warning to the consumers.

It was not possible to find out the names. Karam Gutierrez defended himself by clarifying the issue because the job performed by his agency lacks adequate material and human resources. It is also due to the fact that the local office is located in Sonoyta and they must travel there.

An owner of a purifying plant admitted that there are irregularities because it is almost impossible to comply with the many rules set by Sanitary Regulations. He revealed that there are also businesses here that don’t follow the correct procedures to purify water.

Each plant is visited at least once a year, but the ones that do poorly are visited with greater frequency. Even though he refused to name them, he agreed to name some of the higher scoring ones such as Agua Fina, Agua Vida, Agua Santa and Agua Reyna …

One of the rules that is broken the most, he says, is the labeling of the bottles. There are many plants that just refill the containers, put a new cap on and they go out for distribution. This makes it seem like the Sanitation Inspectors may have turned a blind eye to this and other anomalies.

The price of purified water is not subject to any regulations. It is up to the distributors and to the supply and demand of the market. It is not regulated and it depends on the operation costs of each plant. Prices fluctuate between 6.50 to 13.00 pesos (60 cents to $1.20 USD).

Karam Gutierrez indicated that those prices are cheap compared with Hermosillo because Puerto Penasco is considered an ‘expensive’ zone.

Another rule that all plants must obey is to label their distribution vehicles. They may be sanctioned if they don’t because the consumer should know who he is buying from.

One of the guarantees of bottled water is that it is purified with a reverse osmosis treatment, low in salts and free of bacteria. The consumer has the option of choosing between price and better tasting water.

Watch out with tap water!

Even though tap water is potable, it is far from fit for human consumption, says Gutierrez. Although the water is potable, it has high levels of salts, PH index and bacteria. That could cause gastrointestinal diseases, parasites, diarrhea, and even hepatitis.

He attributes this to the high pollution of the ground, the excessive use of latrines, demographic growth and that the human body has weakened; twenty years ago one could stand more. Bottled water didn’t even exist because everyone drank from the tap.

He recognized that in this municipality the culture in prone to buying bottled water, even in the peripheral neighborhoods. Even though many families have economic hardships they still consume bottled water.

Karam Gutierrez said that even though it is tap water, it is monitored by Sanitary Regulations; samples are taken at 36 different locations each week.

Purifying plants are checked every 15 days, while sewage water is checked every 15 days in 7 different locations.

Posted by http://defrente.puerto-penasco.com