Binay's bottled water bill to set stricter quality guidelines
Published Jan 18, 2019 03:15 pm
By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay has sought passage of a measure that seeks to regulate the quality standards of bottled waters sold in the market to protect consumers’ health.
Binay, in filing Senate Bill No. 2151 or the proposed “Safe Bottled Water Act,” said she believes it is necessary for the government to step in protecting consumers against trade malpractices and from substandard or hazardous products.
Senator Nancy Binay (Senate of the Philippines official Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
The bill, according to Binay aims to protect Filipinos’ health and instill health consciousness among the citizens especially when it comes to safe drinking water.
“Water is essential to our everyday lives. Bottled water consumption has remarkably increased in recent years. Water can come from a variety of sources including springs, aquifers, or municipal supplies.
“However, there is a need to regulate the standards of bottled water sold in the country,” Binay said in the explanatory note of the bill.
“The measure seeks to establish and regulate quality standards for bottled water in order to protect and promote the health of consumers by ensuring that it is fit for consumption,” she further said.
The proposed law mandates the Department of Health (DOH) secretary and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) director to promulgate interim or revised national primary drinking water regulations concerning maximum contaminant levels.
Binay said such regulation shall be applicable to all bottled drinking waters including mineral spring, natural sparkling water, and vended water.
Under the bill, the DOH Secretary is also tasked to establish quality standards and definitions for mineral water and carbonated water which include limits for total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium and trihalomethane content and also ensure that standards for mineral water and carbonated beverages meet all established health-based drinking water standards.
The BFAD director, on the other hand, would be tasked to define the “approved sources” of bottled water, establish the criteria to determine the adequacy as well as the protection of “approved sources” of bottled water, including but not limited to: minimum well construction standards; minimum distance separation from upstream wastewater discharges and minimum distance separations from abandoned wells, septic tanks, waste impoundment and landfills.
The BFAD Director, under the bill, is likewise tasked to establish a bottled water monitoring program which, at a minimum, is as stringent as that used for public water supplies and provides for yearly testing and monitoring for unregulated contaminants for which public water utilities must test.
BFAD is also mandated to require that any analysis or testing be done in an approved certified laboratory.
The bill has also put in place recall regulations and notifications if a bottled water product is found defective.
The BFAD is also tasked to prohibit the processing and bottling of non-carbonated water with equipment used to process milk, fruit juice or other food products that are likely to contribute nutrients for microbiological growth.
Under the bill, the DOH secretary shall establish and enforce clear, concise and un-coded uniform source labeling requirements for all bottled water products which include the original source of water; type of water; type of treatment, if any; date of bottling; address of bottler and provide numerical specification of sodium content.
Senator Nancy Binay (Senate of the Philippines official Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN)
The bill, according to Binay aims to protect Filipinos’ health and instill health consciousness among the citizens especially when it comes to safe drinking water.
“Water is essential to our everyday lives. Bottled water consumption has remarkably increased in recent years. Water can come from a variety of sources including springs, aquifers, or municipal supplies.
“However, there is a need to regulate the standards of bottled water sold in the country,” Binay said in the explanatory note of the bill.
“The measure seeks to establish and regulate quality standards for bottled water in order to protect and promote the health of consumers by ensuring that it is fit for consumption,” she further said.
The proposed law mandates the Department of Health (DOH) secretary and the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) director to promulgate interim or revised national primary drinking water regulations concerning maximum contaminant levels.
Binay said such regulation shall be applicable to all bottled drinking waters including mineral spring, natural sparkling water, and vended water.
Under the bill, the DOH Secretary is also tasked to establish quality standards and definitions for mineral water and carbonated water which include limits for total dissolved solids, sulfate, sodium and trihalomethane content and also ensure that standards for mineral water and carbonated beverages meet all established health-based drinking water standards.
The BFAD director, on the other hand, would be tasked to define the “approved sources” of bottled water, establish the criteria to determine the adequacy as well as the protection of “approved sources” of bottled water, including but not limited to: minimum well construction standards; minimum distance separation from upstream wastewater discharges and minimum distance separations from abandoned wells, septic tanks, waste impoundment and landfills.
The BFAD Director, under the bill, is likewise tasked to establish a bottled water monitoring program which, at a minimum, is as stringent as that used for public water supplies and provides for yearly testing and monitoring for unregulated contaminants for which public water utilities must test.
BFAD is also mandated to require that any analysis or testing be done in an approved certified laboratory.
The bill has also put in place recall regulations and notifications if a bottled water product is found defective.
The BFAD is also tasked to prohibit the processing and bottling of non-carbonated water with equipment used to process milk, fruit juice or other food products that are likely to contribute nutrients for microbiological growth.
Under the bill, the DOH secretary shall establish and enforce clear, concise and un-coded uniform source labeling requirements for all bottled water products which include the original source of water; type of water; type of treatment, if any; date of bottling; address of bottler and provide numerical specification of sodium content.