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DEQ: We’re not picking on small bottled water companies
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Posted on Jul 12 1999
The Division of Environmental Quality has intensified its efforts in monitoring local bottled water companies to ensure that the public is drinking safe, healthy water.
“We have not singled out one or two companies,” said DEQ acting Director Antonio I. Guerrero. “We are making sure that all bottled water companies in the CNMI comply with our safe drinking water standards and regulations. We are simply doing our job.”
Guerrero emphasized that the purchase and installation of an automated bottle washing machine is an important component of any bottled water company and not the only component. “Companies need to do a number of things to make sure their product water is safe. Of the companies which have had problems recently, we have found they didn’t have an automated bottle washing machine. An automated machine would go a long way to prevent some of these contamination problems. If they don’t want to, or can’t purchase one, then there is a strong possibility their product water may test positive for contaminants again in the future.”
Guerrero also pointed out that DEQ has not “closed down” any business this year. “We order them to stop selling their bottled water,” he explained. “They can still sell water to people who bring in their own containers.” He also reminds people who do fill up their own bottles to make sure they are clean. The best way to do this is to rinse them with diluted home bleach.
As part of DEQ’s new effort to monitor bottled water companies, the agency will begin random, unannounced sampling of one company each week. In the past, DEQ has conducted random sampling of bottled water companies once a month.
DEQ sets drinking water standards and has determine that the presence of total coliform is a serious health concern.
