Tebogo Msimanga |
Rand Water is urging consumers to beware of misleading marketing initiatives aimed at promoting the use of home-based water treatment devices. It reiterated that home water treatment devices provide no benefit to consumers as the water supplied by Rand Water undergoes a rigorous purification process before distribution to its customers.
Rand Water Spokesperson Justice Mohalel said traders use ambiguous statements to market home-based water treatment devices such as domestic water filters for “health reasons”.
“These statements often mislead consumers into purchasing water treatment devices that provide no benefits. In some cases, traders promote sales of water treatment devices by demonstrating how the colour of tap water changes into an undesirable state, and then show how their water treatment filters can correct this”
Mohale added that this leads to consumers believing that tap water contains harmful particles. He further said the colour change is due to naturally occurring minerals in drinking water such as calcium, potassium and sulfate which the human body requires.
“Most of the purification systems may leave the consumer with distilled water, which is deionized water – water that lacks mineral content. Sometimes, the water treatment devices could become contaminated with bacteria or with viruses.”
Rand Water reiterated that it supplies water that is safe for human consumption and consumers do not need to test water in their households.
