Quality difference between sachet and bottled water produced under the same conditions

Abstract

The study investigated the physicochemical and microbial qualities of freshly produced packaged water in Nsukka, Nigeria in a way that reveals the effect of the filling and sealing processes on the final water quality. The result shows that the physicochemical parameters were largely within standards, except for a few packaged water that violated the standards for pH (7%), iron (Fe) (39%), and conductivity (32%). More than 70% and 3% of the packaged water tested positive for total coliform and E. coli respectively, which suggest inadequate disinfection and recent faecal contamination. The uniformity of the physicochemical parameters among sachet and bottled water collected from the same brand suggests that the filling and sealing processes either have similar or no effect on the physicochemical properties. Microbial parameters of packaged water from the same brand were less uniform but still within the same confident limits. Better surveillance and stricter supervision by the regulatory authorities, including insistence on full compliance with the general hygiene provisions, are required to put an end to the proliferation of unsafe packaged water and the associated life-threatening illnesses.