Consumers Urged to Check Drinking Water Quality Carefully
JAKARTA – Consumers need to be more careful when checking drinking water quality, as clarity alone is not enough to indicate that it is safe and hygienic. The water source, treatment process, cleanliness of the packaging, quality testing, storage and product traceability are among the factors to consider before drinking it.
The Health Ministry’s 2023 Household Drinking Water Quality Surveillance (SKAMRT) recorded that only 20.49% of Indonesians had access to drinking water considered safe for consumption. The figure underlines the importance of consumer literacy in understanding the quality of the water used every day.
Tria Rosemiarti, Nutrition Design & Hydration Science Research and Innovation at Aqua, said consumers often judge water quality solely by its physical appearance. However, several other factors need to be checked to ensure that the water’s quality is maintained.
“We often look at water only in terms of its clarity. In fact, there are many other aspects to consider to ensure the quality of drinking water,” Tria said in a press release on Tuesday (27 October 2026).
She said consumers should check the producer’s identity, label, distribution permit, packaging and cap. Traceability is also important, so consumers can identify the water’s source, how it was processed and who is responsible for the product.
Mayapada Hospital East Jakarta paediatrician Marlina Tanjung said drinking water quality and hygiene were especially important for children. Invisible microbiological contamination and heavy metals can affect health in both the short and long term.
“Hydration is not just about drinking enough; it is also about ensuring that the water consumed is clean and hygienic. Drinking water that is not hygienically maintained can increase the risk of digestive problems. In children, this can disrupt nutrient intake and absorption and affect growth and development,” Marlina said.
The journal Safe Drinking Water and Its Impact on Children’s Growth and Development: A Systematic Review says digestive health problems can affect the intake and absorption of nutrients needed for children’s growth and development. It says this condition could raise the risk of stunting by up to 4.14 times.
Families are also being educated through an approach involving both children and parents. Children can be encouraged to learn where water comes from, read labels, check packaging and understand the importance of the quality of the products they consume.
Aqua Marketing Director Adisti Nirmala said children’s curiosity could provide an opportunity to foster more careful consumption habits from an early age. She said children could be involved through simple activities connected to their daily lives.
“Children today are growing up with a great deal of curiosity. We want to channel that curiosity positively by encouraging children and parents to understand together what they consume every day,” Adisti said.
Consumers are also reminded to inspect packaging thoroughly, particularly for refillable gallon containers. Checks can include the cap, label and condition of the container, as well as whether the production code on the container matches the one on the cap.
During production, quality testing is said to cover as many as 400 parameters, alongside screening, sterilisation and sanitation stages. Such information is among the details consumers can consider when assessing how a product’s quality is maintained.
Mayapada Hospital East Jakarta Hospital Director Dina Hanum said drinking water quality was one factor supporting family health. Education is important so people become accustomed to checking the products they consume rather than relying only on habit or appearance.
Consumer awareness can be fostered at home by involving children in simple routines. Parents can ask children to look at labels, identify packaging and ask where a product comes from.