KEBS Warns Hotel and Event Organizers Against Issuing Uncertified Water

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has issued out a stern warning to hotels and event organizers against packaging drinking water that has not been certified.

Hotels and event organizers who will go against the directive will have to face the arm of the law. KEBS will also seize and destroy the uncertified water products.

This move, according to KEBS Managing Director, Charles Ongwae, is because Water tends to be listed as a high-risk commodity and a slight contamination can lead to loss of lives or even sickness.

Ongwae further noted that issuing out uncertified water was a contravention of the Standards Act for hotels and public event organizers to distribute water unless the products have a valid permit to use the Standardization Mark.

The Bureau has advised consumers to confirm validity of the Standardization Mark by sending a text message containing the permit number to 20023 in this format SM# (permit number)

The water bottling business is guided by the Kenya Standards and the East Africa standards for bottled water whereby the water classification is determined by the source of the water and the method of purification.

KEBS has been working towards curbing the continuous emergence of unscrupulous water bottling firms which are not adhering to the laid down standards and procedures.

The body went ahead and suspended permits to use the KEBS marks of quality on 369 water bottling firms which were said to have violated the water standards.

Some of these violations included companies operating without valid permits from KEBS, non-compliance with requirements of the relevant water standards such as the code of hygiene, using suspect sources of water, poor and misleading labeling.

The water bottling business is guided by the Kenya Standards/East Africa standards for bottled water whereby the water classification is determined by the source of the water and the method of purification.

Some of the challenges stated to be facing the water bottling industry are that some of the manufacturers install filtration systems without seeking information on the requirements set out in standards that include Quality of the source water, Specifications for water, Code of hygiene, operating companies relocating and not informing KEBS of the new location.