Fresh from the mountain springs...

Sudibyo M. Wiradji, Contributor, Jakarta

Unlike tap water providers, companies involved in the lucrative bottled water business have no difficulty in finding their source of water.

Most of the country's bottled water companies use mountain springs as their source. However, it could take years to ensure that a new mountain spring is capable of providing enough water for mass production.

An intensive study conducted on mountain springs is required before a company decides whether it can be used as a water source. AQUA, for example, needs two years to evaluate the spring to ensure the consistency of water quality and availability.

"Research evaluates such aspects as geology, physics, biology and microbiology. The environment is also subject to evaluation to ensure that it has not suffered any negative impact," said PT AQUA Golden Mississippi president director Willy Sidharta.

PT Equil, the producer of natural mineral water, requires 10 years to study a spring in a recharge area in the protected forest of Cimelati, Sukabumi, West Java. "We have to make sure whether the water is really free from pathogenic bacteria and it is safe to drink," Irwan Siswandi of Equil said.

Water sourced from mountain springs is naturally protected against contamination from microbes, organic compounds and molecules, such as pesticides.

Bottled water production should meet the minimum standard requirements established by Standards National Indonesia (SNI). In terms of water resources, springs and artesian wells are both allowable as long as the processed water is in compliance with set standards.

"Even though bottled water sourced from mountain springs and pumped wells is hygienic after it is processed, there's a difference in terms of freshness. Bottled water from springs is fresher," said a staff member from PT Tangmas, which also uses mountain springs as its source for 2 Tang bottled water.

The bottled water business began in the 1970s with only several companies. To date, over 270 companies are in operation. Sales of bottled water reaches 12 billion liters. Bottled water is also exported with foreign exchange earnings of Rp 5.05 trillion (US$561 million) in 2002.

The increasing demand for bottled water has led to the mushrooming of water refilling stations in the country. The refilling stations have provided consumers with an alternative to buying drinking water from stores, and is sold at a cheaper price. One gallon costs only Rp 2,500 compared to Rp 7,500 for one gallon of AQUA water.

However, what concerns consumers the most is whether the water purchased from the refilling station is hygienic and safe to drink. Based on tests conducted by the City Health and Laboratory Agency and Sucofindo, water from refilling stations is good.

"As can be seen from its chemical composition, the water is sourced from mountain springs with a good mineral content," the City Health and Laboratory Agency's head, Untung Nuriman, told PikNet.

The process of producing bottled water is not as simple as most people would think. The water goes through a disinfecting process known as ozonization. It also goes through filtering and an ultraviolet process.

"AQUA water becomes fresher with more oxygen for six hours after the ozonization process, during which time the ozone molecules turn into oxygen, or O2," Willy said.

To ensure that the water is hygienic and safe to drink, regular laboratory tests and control measures are conducted during each step in the production process. Chemical and physical laboratory tests are conducted on an hourly basis and a microbiological test is done ever seven hours, he added.

To maximize water quality, AQUA uses the most integrated technology throughout the production process from taking it from the source through to the bottling stage. "We implement an advanced production system that gives AQUA complete information on when each bottle was produced. As well, each AQUA bottling plant keeps a minimum of two samples from each production run for at least two years, even though the expiry date of the product is less than that," he said.

PT Equil Indonesia, the producer of natural mineral water, also uses modern technology in producing bottled water.

"The technology enables the unprocessed water, which is directly bottled at the water spring site, to be free from contamination and that it is safe to drink," said Irwan.

Equil boasts that it uses bottles with a higher level of density. "With this kind of bottle, the water will not have an odor despite it being exposed to the sun," he added.

He said that bottled natural mineral water is first kept in a quarantine room, or bio-cleaning room, for laboratory testing for five days. "The sample is tested and released only when it is really free from pathogenic bacteria," he said.