Survey finds problem with water

Survey finds problem with water

JAKARTA: A survey released on Friday found that almost 20
percent of water refill outlets in the city sell water
contaminated with coliform, a bacteria blamed for causing
diarrhea and other health problems.

The Indonesian Communication Forum on Drinking Water Quality
Management surveyed 96 of the 1,200 water refill outlets across
the city in August and September.

"The water quality is relatively hygienic. However, consumers
should be wary of the level of coliform," forum chairman Abdullah
Muthalib said.

The survey found most outlet operators do not check the
cleanliness of their water.

"They tend to be reckless when handling the equipment used to
process the water. This poor sanitary is very influential on the
quality of the water."

In April, the state-run Bogor Agriculture Institute released a
survey that cautioned customers against buying drinking water
from refill outlets because the water could be contaminated with
harmful bacteria.

It said that 16 percent of 120 samples of drinking water from
Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi and six other major cities in
the country contained coliform bacteria. The samples also had a
high concentration of chemicals. -- JP