Look for one of the 13 brands with our logo on their bottles, says head of SA National Bottled Water Association, in response to a report of toxic bottled water.
The 12 brands involved in the study are not named in the peer-reviewed paper published in a special edition of theon the findings on Thursday, but has been unable to contact the researchers, led by biologist Prof Joshua Olowoyo. Metcalf says her association had also failed to track down the researchers to interrogate their findings. Olowoyo’s response will be added to this article when it is received.
“Sadly, we do not have as much control when it comes to non-members. However, because we view it as our responsibility to act on behalf of the consumer, we will alert the non-member bottler and insist they follow their own protocol to correct the situation. “WHO standards as they are not fit for purpose. South Africa has stringent legislation,” she says. “What we need is better enforcement, and consumers to protect themselves by educating themselves about the Sanbwa logo.”
Chromium levels in every sample Olowoyo tested were above the local limit of 50 micrograms per litre, and the “acceptable range” of 50-100ug. The lowest sample contained 142ug/l and highest 190ug/l. The local regulation says bottles of water must have a label reporting the chemical make-up of its water but Olowoyo says some of these labels were inaccurate. He says it may be a good idea to force suppliers to make analytical reports on water safety available to consumers.