In the past few years, water borne diseases in Pakistan have assumed alarming proportions. Major portion of people falling victim to these stomach, blood, kidney and liver ailments are children mainly through consuming water that does not meet the requisite hygiene standards. Aging and neglected water pipelines passing through sewage drains, leakages created in them due to corrosion, vacuums, unauthorized connections and contamination of sub surface water with pathogens and fecal material are health hazards. In addition there has been a consistent salting of the aquifers resulting in brackish water of varying degrees, unfit for human consumption. Outbreaks of gastro-intestinal illnesses traced to contaminated drinking water supplies and reports of pesticides, heavy metals and other potentially health-threatening contaminants in some municipal systems have raised concern about the safety and quality of tap water. This is mainly due to the perforated pipelines that pass through sewage drains and insufficient treatment.

Proliferation of domestic well bores close to underground septic tanks has further accentuated the issue. In Rawalpindi alone, pathogens, nitrates, nitrites and faecal matter contaminate all bored water. The water of Rawal Lake is contaminated very heavily with pathogens, heavy metals and toxins, some carcinogenic. In the area surrounding Lahore high arsenic and fluoride levels are rampant caused mostly due to indiscriminate use of pesticides and untreated wastes from the industry and municipalities in River Ravi.

Incidence of water borne diseases in Pakistan is very high resulting in an un-acceptable child mortality rate amongst the highest in the world. Residual chlorine left in the water supplies adds up with other materials to form carcinogens raising the incidents of cancer in the country. Absence of foolproof regulations and effective monitoring create an environment conducive for health hazards. As a result consumers have turned increasingly to bottled water evident from the numerous brands available in the market.

While the leaders like Nestle have monopolized the market at exorbitant prices, mushrooming of Bottled Water with disregard to standards have added to the health hazards and the false sense of hygiene security that the labels offer. Barring Nestle which itself is artificial pure water lacking a balance in minerals thereby causing dehydration rather than removing it, most other brands are highly contaminated by chemicals or bacteria. Topping this list are Askari (high in arsenic and fluorides) and Sparklettes (high in sodium). Waters like Cool, Everest, BWS, TSW, Pearl, OAS, Bahrain, Bisler, IceBerg and Aqua Safe have all been declared unfit by the Ministry of Science and Technology, but still continue to make good business. There is therefore a need to introduce high quality and cheap water in the market that improves the health of the people and runs the multinationals and quacks out of business through the inter play of market forces. In most cases the cost of this bottled water is as high as soft aerated drinks, burdening the masses as well as biting into the valuable foreign exchange.

The purpose of this paper is to create awareness of the readers in water resulting in discreet use and better health.

Solvency and Hydration.

Water is a universal solvent wherein also lie its hazards in the food chain. It is normally a very dynamic substance made up of millions of H2O molecules that bond together by hydrogen bond sharing. These bonds hold H2O molecules together in groups of large molecular arrays, which range from 5 (the theoretical minimum occurring as liquid water) to several hundred. It is these bigger bonds that hold and carry dissolved solids of all types. Water found today in nature contains many dissolved substances, which the body must remove in order to absorb the water into our cells through the Aqua Orin protein water channels. The water therefore has to be soft, permeable and in as small molecular clusters as possible for cellular hydration. Water containing large amount of dissolved solids does not have as high a driving force to exchange cellular fluids, which is an impediment to hydration. Our bodies must break large water molecule clusters down into single file water molecules in order for our cells to hydrate.

Types of Bottled Water.

"Bottled water" or "drinking water" is water sealed in sanitary containers that meets all applicable International and federal standards. It cannot contain any chemical additives or sweeteners and must be calorie-free and sugar-free. However, various kinds of bottled water are commercially available. A quick look at the label may or may not tell that the bottled water has been drawn from either municipal water supplies or from protected natural sources such as springs and wells. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of USA defines different types of bottled water on the basis of (1) its water source and (2) its chemical composition at the time that it is drawn from the source.

• Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water. It is water drawn from a confined aquifer where water under pressure rises above the water table. This water needs to be treated.

• Spring Water. It can be collected only at the spring or from a borehole adjacent to the spring that taps the aquifer feeding the spring. The properties of the water drawn from the borehole must be the same as that of the water in the spring. This water has to undergo filtration to remove turbidity and bacteria.

• Well Water. It derives from a hole bored or drilled that taps the water of an aquifer. This water must be pumped to the surface.

• Purified Water. This is produced through distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or some other water treatment process. This water originates as either tap water (i.e., from a municipal system) or groundwater. Depending upon the water treatment process used, other acceptable names include distilled water, purified drinking water; distilled drinking water and deionised water have been introduced. Nestle Purelife is produced through distillation, deionization and artificial mineralization. Their latest plants are now based on reverse osmosis. The water is first leached of all its dissolved and suspended contents and then some minerals like sodium, potassium and phosphates are artificially dosed. Internationally, pure water due to its nature comprises a very small market in the developed world but dominates in the third world including Pakistan. This water is devoid of essential minerals.

• Mineral Water. This water contains more than 250 ppm (parts per million) of TDS (total dissolved solids) that are present at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added to this water nor can it be drawn from a municipal source. In Europe, any recognized spring water with minerals upto 500 ppm can be called mineral water.

• Sparkling Water. This water contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had when it was drawn from the source. Soda water, seltzer water and tonic are not considered bottled waters. Perrier and Sparklette sodas are not sparkling water.

Most water bottling plants in Pakistan lack the basic requisites to market water. These plants are usually made by foremen who lack engineering discipline. Nor are these plants designed and configured according to the source of the water. In most of these plants, chemical engineers and microbiologists are in short supply.

Water Bottles.

These containers present another health hazard. For health purposes the only plastics permitted for reuse are PET. Most of the water bottles carried by children to school are not PET and cannot be disinfected with soaps, detergents or boiling. In fact, after each wash, they make a complex chain of materials that cause cancer. Moreover, due to the very nature of their use, these containers become hotbeds of bacterial activity, causing sickness in children.

So next time beware of what you drink!