Sachet water in the sun, a social menace; but who is to say

Water is medicine, that’s what they say and rightly said no one can underestimate the enormous benefits of water to the human body. For example water get rid of the waste in the body. Toxins and bodily waste are dissolved in water and carried to the kidneys to be eliminated from the body.

Water is also vital for keeping the body at a normal temperature as well as keeping the blood stream liquid enough to flow through the blood vessels. These are but a few of the number of benefits of water.

With this in mind, quality of water does not only depends on its availability but most importantly the source, treatment and the preservation (storage) of it.

Sachet water business has become one of the lucrative businesses in the country with thousands as producers and millions as vendors providing jobs and putting food on the tables of all these people. And since water is indispensable to humans, whether we like it or not we are forced to buy them to satisfy our thirst and hunger.

With such a booming business and the number involved both producers and buyers, one would have thought that there would be regulations to check the purity of these productions, yet it leaves much to be desired. The source of the water and its treatment is a huge subject to talk about but let me focus on its storage for now.

When one buys a sachet water and looks on the pack, it is boldly written something like “do not store in the sun” or “do not expose to direct sunlight “. In fact these words are not for fun. One vendor said she taught is a design to make it attractive to buyers’ way out from its intended purpose.

Many scientific studies conducted around the world show a direct link between water exposed to sunlight and cancer when the heat is beyond room temperature. The heat melts some of the substances used in making the polythene bag into the water making it contaminated. The polythene bags are made of synthetic petroleum; and for that matter weather-sensitive. The properties in these synthetic petroleum materials melt into the water after exposure to sun rays or heat. Thus carcinogenic materials then enters the water making it unsafe for drinking. The poly bags also develops microorganisms and germs which enters the water through the deterioration of the polythene bags.

The FDA and the Ghana standard authority must wake up and sit up since it their core duty to ensure that anything edible and drinkable that enters the market meets the highest standard that it deserves.

The producing companies must also stop providing cubicles for the retailers which they may not get any suitable place to keep it unless in the open for the sun and rain to beat it.

The bottom line is that water is a medicine and every medicine must be stored in a cool dry place. It is about life and well-being; the earlier we act the better for us.