Trade Ministry Warns Water Refill Station Operators Against Using Branded Gallon Containers
The Ministry of Trade is strengthening supervision of water refill station (DAMIU) businesses through an educational approach aimed at business operators. This move follows the continued discovery of violations in the field, ranging from unmet business requirements to the use of non-compliant packaging.
In an effort to improve compliance, the Directorate General of Consumer Protection and Orderly Commerce (PKTN) at the Ministry of Trade, together with the JIPA Nusantara Foundation, held a public policy dialogue. The session was designed to provide business operators and the public with an understanding of the standards for operating water refill depots.
“The goal is to build public understanding that attention must be paid to healthy, quality, and standard-compliant regulations,” said Director General of PKTN at the Ministry of Trade, Moga Simatupang, in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Moga outlined several basic requirements that every water refill depot must meet to operate legally. These requirements cover not only business legality but also the health and safety aspects of the water produced. “Among other things, the depot must have a Business Identification Number (NIB), possess a sanitary hygiene eligibility certificate, source water from a licensed supply, and have its equipment regularly monitored by a competent institution,” he stated.
In addition to fulfilling these requirements, operators are strictly prohibited from using certain types of packaging. The government has specifically banned the use of gallon containers and lids that still display a particular trademark.
To ensure that these rules are understood at the operational level, the Ministry of Trade is preparing educational materials in the form of posters to be distributed to water refill depots. This step is considered crucial because not all field operators are fully aware of the applicable regulations.
“Besides the requirements, there are also prohibitions, namely not using branded gallons or branded lids. We will also distribute posters so that depots can display them, ensuring that even operators who may not have attended the training understand what must be fulfilled and what is prohibited,” Moga explained.
The strengthening of this educational effort comes in response to repeated public complaints about the quality of refill water. Several cases that went viral on social media showed packaging in dirty, dull, and unfit condition still being used to contain drinking water for the public. The ministry hopes that by disseminating these posters and barcodes, the public and operators who did not attend the dialogue can still access and understand the required standards.