Is your water really safe?
February 4, 2007 | 12:00am
Life used to be much simpler. In the days before industrialization, pollution and high population growth, the environment was still pristine. One could plunge and frolic in the clean, clear waters of lakes and rivers, or drink long, refreshing draughts from running streams and gurgling springs. Although it is unlikely that the current generation will remember it, there was once a time when one could drink water straight from any of Metro Manila’s taps with no tinge of worry about germs or disease.
Times have certainly changed. The proper authorities always try their best to ensure that our water sources are kept clean, but glitches do occur. Sewage pipes leak their vile contents and contaminate water supply pipes, or chemicals seep from unsafe storage areas and poison underground water. More disturbingly, the sheer numbers of people who heedlessly ignore pollution control measures make the task of keeping our water supply clean more difficult and complicated.
It takes just one drop of bacteria-laden water to cause disease. If you have ever suffered from a bout of amoebiasis, you might realize how easy it is to catch the ailment. The experience will engrave in your mind the truth that "visibly clean" does not necessarily mean "really clean." Those appealing fresh vegetable salads or tall, cold glasses of water may actually harbor colonies of amoeba, and the torment of excruciating abdominal pain will make you more discerning about the food you eat and the water you drink. Some degree of caution will save you from future uncomfortable and unglamorous cases of the runs, after all. And thus, you resort to buying purified water to be safe.
Are all brands of bottled and purified water equally clean, though? We try to stick to the reliable brands but these are not available everywhere. Most of us will admit to being wary of the bottles of drinking water peddled by street vendors when we are stuck in traffic jams. The bottles could have easily been filled from the taps or cleaned before filling with water from some open manhole (gasp!). One really cannot be sure that water is clean just because it is bottled, especially because sealing the bottles is a simple operation that one can manage with a hair dryer. The peace of mind that comes with having your water certified clean by a reliable laboratory is irreplaceable. And thus, the service that QualiBet offers is important.
Qualibet Testing Services Corporation is a company of excellent repute that was set up by chemist Pinky Pe Tobiano. Manned by licensed and highly qualified chemists and microbiologists, the laboratory is equipped with the latest equipment. It tests cosmetics, food, agricultural products and medicines, but realizing that safe water is one necessity that should be accessible to all Filipinos, Pinky’s current advocacy is to create consumer awareness about clean and safe water.
"QualiBet is short for Quality is Better. Water is something we all cannot do without, and by promoting consumer awareness we hope to promote a better quality of life for all," she explains.
Testing of water distribution and purification centers is required at the onset of operations but the quality of water in these stations needs to be constantly monitored. "Consumers have the right to ask for a certificate of analysis from their purified water suppliers," says Pinky. "This will ensure that the standards are maintained regularly and stringent efforts are undertaken to ensure safety and cleanliness of the product." She also recommends that drinking water suppliers place a "best before" label since the quality of drinking water will deteriorate if it is stored for a long time. For consumers who cannot afford to buy bottled water, the simple process of placing clean stockings as a filter over faucets and boiling water for drinking will lessen the incidence of water-borne diseases.
Homeowners may also opt to have the water flowing from their taps tested. Pinky relates one incident in which facial rashes plagued a client. Numerous visits to the dermatologist did not seem to help and the rashes kept recurring. A water analysis revealed that the source of irritation was tap water contaminated by fecal matter at the client’s home. One’s drinking water may be safe, but it is a good idea to make sure that water for cooking, cleaning and bathing is safe, too. "Besides," Pinky says, "lead content in the water cannot be eliminated by boiling." This holds true for other dangerous chemicals that may have inadvertently found their way into your water supply.
Is it expensive to have the water in our homes tested? Gigi Leonardo, manager of Qualibet Testing Services Corporation, says that testing costs between P520 and P2,000, a reasonable amount considering what the process entails. The analysis results are available after a week, but this can be expedited if the client requires it. Clients come from all over the Philippines and it is Pinky’s dream to have roving testing centers throughout the country one day.
Why campaign for safe water? Pinky Tobiano says her promotion of clean and safe water is an indirect offshoot of personal difficulty. "When I got thyroid cancer three years ago, I became more aware of the littlest things. The things we take for granted. The experience made me strive harder for a better life. And, since I also want a better life for the ordinary person, I try to serve in the best way I know how – as a chemist. Everyone uses water and ensuring that their water is safe is the best way I can be of service. This is my way of giving back," she says.
How safe is your water? Have it tested. Call Gigi or Ivy at 374-8003 or 372-7993 at Qualibet Testing Laboratory, one of the Philippines’ most reliable testing centers.
Log on to www.qualibetlab.com or Email qualibettesting@yahoo.com
Times have certainly changed. The proper authorities always try their best to ensure that our water sources are kept clean, but glitches do occur. Sewage pipes leak their vile contents and contaminate water supply pipes, or chemicals seep from unsafe storage areas and poison underground water. More disturbingly, the sheer numbers of people who heedlessly ignore pollution control measures make the task of keeping our water supply clean more difficult and complicated.
It takes just one drop of bacteria-laden water to cause disease. If you have ever suffered from a bout of amoebiasis, you might realize how easy it is to catch the ailment. The experience will engrave in your mind the truth that "visibly clean" does not necessarily mean "really clean." Those appealing fresh vegetable salads or tall, cold glasses of water may actually harbor colonies of amoeba, and the torment of excruciating abdominal pain will make you more discerning about the food you eat and the water you drink. Some degree of caution will save you from future uncomfortable and unglamorous cases of the runs, after all. And thus, you resort to buying purified water to be safe.
Are all brands of bottled and purified water equally clean, though? We try to stick to the reliable brands but these are not available everywhere. Most of us will admit to being wary of the bottles of drinking water peddled by street vendors when we are stuck in traffic jams. The bottles could have easily been filled from the taps or cleaned before filling with water from some open manhole (gasp!). One really cannot be sure that water is clean just because it is bottled, especially because sealing the bottles is a simple operation that one can manage with a hair dryer. The peace of mind that comes with having your water certified clean by a reliable laboratory is irreplaceable. And thus, the service that QualiBet offers is important.
Qualibet Testing Services Corporation is a company of excellent repute that was set up by chemist Pinky Pe Tobiano. Manned by licensed and highly qualified chemists and microbiologists, the laboratory is equipped with the latest equipment. It tests cosmetics, food, agricultural products and medicines, but realizing that safe water is one necessity that should be accessible to all Filipinos, Pinky’s current advocacy is to create consumer awareness about clean and safe water.
"QualiBet is short for Quality is Better. Water is something we all cannot do without, and by promoting consumer awareness we hope to promote a better quality of life for all," she explains.
Testing of water distribution and purification centers is required at the onset of operations but the quality of water in these stations needs to be constantly monitored. "Consumers have the right to ask for a certificate of analysis from their purified water suppliers," says Pinky. "This will ensure that the standards are maintained regularly and stringent efforts are undertaken to ensure safety and cleanliness of the product." She also recommends that drinking water suppliers place a "best before" label since the quality of drinking water will deteriorate if it is stored for a long time. For consumers who cannot afford to buy bottled water, the simple process of placing clean stockings as a filter over faucets and boiling water for drinking will lessen the incidence of water-borne diseases.
Homeowners may also opt to have the water flowing from their taps tested. Pinky relates one incident in which facial rashes plagued a client. Numerous visits to the dermatologist did not seem to help and the rashes kept recurring. A water analysis revealed that the source of irritation was tap water contaminated by fecal matter at the client’s home. One’s drinking water may be safe, but it is a good idea to make sure that water for cooking, cleaning and bathing is safe, too. "Besides," Pinky says, "lead content in the water cannot be eliminated by boiling." This holds true for other dangerous chemicals that may have inadvertently found their way into your water supply.
Is it expensive to have the water in our homes tested? Gigi Leonardo, manager of Qualibet Testing Services Corporation, says that testing costs between P520 and P2,000, a reasonable amount considering what the process entails. The analysis results are available after a week, but this can be expedited if the client requires it. Clients come from all over the Philippines and it is Pinky’s dream to have roving testing centers throughout the country one day.
Why campaign for safe water? Pinky Tobiano says her promotion of clean and safe water is an indirect offshoot of personal difficulty. "When I got thyroid cancer three years ago, I became more aware of the littlest things. The things we take for granted. The experience made me strive harder for a better life. And, since I also want a better life for the ordinary person, I try to serve in the best way I know how – as a chemist. Everyone uses water and ensuring that their water is safe is the best way I can be of service. This is my way of giving back," she says.
How safe is your water? Have it tested. Call Gigi or Ivy at 374-8003 or 372-7993 at Qualibet Testing Laboratory, one of the Philippines’ most reliable testing centers.
Log on to www.qualibetlab.com or Email qualibettesting@yahoo.com
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