Bottled water transported in extreme summer heat poses a health hazard to consumers, according to the Consumer Protection Agency

JEDDAH — The Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has warned the public against using water bottled in blue bottles as it represents a health hazard, Makkah daily reported.

The head of the CPA, Naser Al-Tuwaim, said water filling plants are being pressured to replace blue water bottles with other, safer bottles or cover existing bottles with fiberglass. He explained that the chemical composition of water changes when subjected to high temperatures and even water transported in trucks is subjected to changes under high temperatures.

“Such changes are hazardous to the human health,” he said.

Al-Tuwaim said the CPA, Ministry of Water and Electricity and Saudi Food and Drugs Authority (SFDA) are coordinating to organize a large scale forum to discuss the matter. The forum will be attended by water experts, water plant owners and concerned government bodies to set up a clear mechanism to ensure the safety of bottled water.

Al-Tuwaim said one of the solutions is to force water plants to replace their current bottles with fiberglass bottles, which are scientifically-proven to maintain moderate water temperature regardless of the outside temperature.

“The other solution is to wrap the current water bottles with fiberglass to protect the water from the heat of the sun as it is one of the most important variables that affect water quality,” he said.

Health consultant at the CPA, Farraj Haroon, said research and studies have proven that if water is subjected to temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius, it becomes hazardous to human health. He added that this necessitates the intervention of the CPA to regulate water transportation to consumers.