Drinking water to be safer

Meuangkham Noradeth

LOCAL drinking water is to come under price control and be subject to quality checks by a drinking water factory group.
"Clean and safe drinking water is vital for health, so it is necessary to have such a group in each district, with central control," said Vientiane Drinking Water Group (DWG) President, Thongphet Singhavong.
He said that the head of each group would be given power over prices and have the right to check drinking water production quality in each factory to guarantee that each produces clean and safe water.
"If a group head finds a factory producing unclean water, the factory will be warned and the group head and staff will closely check future production," he explained.
"Vientiane has nine districts, with 98 drinking water factories in only six: Chanthabouly, Sikhottabong, Xaysettha, Naxaithong, Hadxaifong and Sisattanak," said the group's Deputy President, Houmpheng Savadphon.
"Xaythany was the last district to have such a group, but Sangthong and Pak Ngum districts have only one or two drinking water factories," he said. "Therefore, the drinking water factories in Sangthong will come under the same management as those in Sikhottabong, while Pak Ngum will join Xaythany district."
"We plan to improve the quality of drinking water production in each Vientiane factory to international standards," he added.
He said that in Laos, only Tiger Head drinking water from the Lao Brewery Co was internationally recognised.
Houmpheng said that the group in each district had established internal rules, including the role of the head of the group.
"The objective is to have solidarity, price control and to ensure the production of clean and safe drinking water," he said.
"In Vientiane, I still see many shops selling imported drinking water. I think that if the quality of drinking water produced here is internationally recognised, we would see less imported drinking water in Vientiane," she said.
"There are twelve water producers in Sisattanak district, so I am very proud to be the group head for this district," said Ms Chanphengsouk Khamdalanikone, adding that this was the first time that Vientiane had set up such groups.
She said that district producers enjoyed solidarity and helped each other to produce good drinking water. Very soon, the rules for the production of drinking water in Sisattanak would be established.
"I think having these groups in each Vientiane district will be a very important step in improving the quality of drinking water for all consumers," she said.

(source)