11 of 29 water facilities operating without licence – GA-FDD

The Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) recently concluded an assessment in Georgetown and Greater Georgetown areas – done over a six-month period – and discovered that 11 water processing factories were operating without the necessary licence from the department.
This GA-FDD recently made this disclosure, stating that samples were analysed for microbiological and chemical parameters to verify compliance with safety requirements. Of the 29 facilities from which samples were taken, 11 were found to be operating without the necessary licence from the department. Of the 87 samples submitted for analysis, 15, or 17 per cent, were found to be unsatisfactory.
The GA-FDD is now urging consumers to be cautious, to request to see a valid licence from water processing factories which retail five-gallon proportions, and to ensure the bottles are properly labelled and sealed before purchasing same.
Consumers are advised to report any company that fails to comply with the GA-FDD’s requirements relative to the sale of treated water.
In an effort to ensure proper health among the citizens, the GA-FDD has vowed to repeat such exercises in the coming months, and is expected to soon draft a list of approved water processing facilities, which it noted will be published.
The GA-FDD is also appealing to water distribution companies to comply with its requirements, or face the penalty of being closed down.
It said manufacturers and distributors must have a valid licence issued by the GA-FDD, which is an indicator of their compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMPs). Also, bottles used must be properly cleaned, sanitised, labelled and sealed. No funnel should be used to transfer water to bottles prior to sale and/or distribution.