Council to call water refill vendors

BEKASI: Bekasi City Council Commission B on economic affairs plans to invite hundreds of mineral water refill vendors to a hearing on the poor quality of water, which could endanger consumers' health.

"The hearing was arranged due to increasing complaints from consumers on the quality of mineral water," said commission deputy Nurul Yakin Setiabudi on Wednesday. He did not elaborate when the hearing would take place.

Consumers have complained that the water is filthy.

The Bekasi health agency will take samples of the mineral water from the vendors and conduct tests. If the water contains bacteria, the commission will ask the relevant agencies to ban the sale of the mineral water refill.

Some of the vendors said they bought water at Rp 290,000 (US$35.4) per tank, but they refused to say where they bought it. Each tank of water can refill 400 gallon-bottles, which is sold at Rp 2,500 per gallon.

The total monthly income for each vendor may reach about Rp 1 million. -- Antara