Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has called on table water producers in the country to adhere strictly to the relevant Nigerian Industrial Standards for portable and packaged drinking water production, saying heavy sanctions await anyone found producing below standard.
Speaking at a one-day workshop organised for Association of Table Water Producers, Osun Chapter in Osogbo, SON Director-General, Osita Aboloma, said the need for quality drinking water, packaged under very stringent hygienic condition could not be over-emphasised.
Aboloma, who was represented by Omolara Okunola, the SON food/codex deputy director, also noted that when one considers the costly effect of water-borne diseases like craw-craw, dysentery, diarrhoea, typhoid fever, among others, it became important to ensure hygienic water production.
READ ALSO: Understanding the Water Resources Bill
He, therefore, harped on the need for bottled water producers to ensure that the water was produced in an environment free from contamination by a human, animal, agricultural and chemical wastes.
He said any tables of water producers who fail to comply with the relevant standards laws would be sanction accordingly.
In his remarks, Jerome Umoru, Osun State SON coordinator, said potential health hazardous situation could arise from consumption or use of contaminated packaged water.
Umoru said the workshop was organised to sensitise members of the association on the need to imbibe the culture of safety and quality production of packaged water.
“Water is essential for sustenance of life and that is why it is very important to ensure a very clean environment for water production,” he averred.
Ademola Adeyeye, the chairman of the Association, said the workshop was timely, as it would assist members to monitor activities of people involved in the business, thus making water industry free of shady character.
BOLA BAMIGBOLA, Osogbo
