I best understood the importance of drinking water after giving birth to my first child by Caesarian section. My mother had to put a little water on the cotton and wet my lips with it. I was very thirsty and the view of plain water in the glass appeared different to me on that day. It was very precious.
True, water is life, and water is therapeutic. My mother always told me to drink eight (8) glasses of water a day, but I could not consume that much. I do not know what is wrong with me. Ideally, we must take two (2) liters of water every day. I think my sickly mother's love of water helps treat some of her illnesses.
W. H. Auden said, "Thousands have lived without love, not one without water."True, yes?
Water is very important. My friend's friend was right when she decided to put up a drinking water business. She asked me to think of the brand name and design the logo plus the first advertising material for the signboard and banner that will be placed in their water station. When I asked her how was the business, she told me that it was doing good. Good for her!
A few years back, one leading food chain staff asked me to fill up a survey form to check customers' feedback. I suggested reducing the price of the 500-ml water from AED3 back to AED1 per bottle. Few weeks after when I returned, it was AED1. Great! With the implementation of VAT, there was a price increase, though.
I am thinking -- if drinking water is life, and if water is therapeutic, and if the government spends a fortune for healthcare initiatives, is there a way to reduce the prices of drinking water so people will be healthy and happy?
As we know it, mosques here have faucets with safe drinking water for the people, for free. It is the right thing to do.
How safe is the tap water here? My flatmates use it to cook and to make coffee while I use bottled water always. They told me that until now they 'are still alive' so there is nothing wrong in using it. When I wrapped the faucet with a piece of white fabric to filter the water, in a day's time the white color turned to dark brown. It may be safe to drink it as it went through desalination process but the source-to-home pipes may contain contaminants not good for the health and taste buds.
How then can an ordinary person test the safety of water? Our naked eyes cannot see the harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses even if the water looks clear and tastes good. It has to be brought to a laboratory to check if it is really safe to drink. The safety seal in the bottles show us so, but even if it is, the way it is handled from the source to end-user consumer we do not know how safe. For example, I see some grocery stores piling bottles filled with drinking water near the glass wall, exposed to the heat of the sun.
I checked on the popular UAE e-commerce website, Souq.com, if there is a water test kit for sale, and yes, there are some, with the prices ranging from AED19.99 and up.
We normally hear or read about the pH value of water, the indicator between acidity and alkalinity. The safe pH value is between 6.5 and 8.5. Pure water pH value is 7 (neutral).
According to the World Health Organization, the safe drinking water is between 6.5 and 9.5 pH.
Per Gulf News, pH levels (mg/liter) of some bottled water in the UAE are:
- Al Ain - 7.3
- Aquafina - 7.2
- Arwa - 6.9
- Masafi - 7.8
- Voss - 5.3
Do you alkalize your water? They say that alkaline water helps slow down the aging process and prevent various diseases. It has pH level of about 8 to 9. It neutralizes acid levels in the body which normal water cannot do. It is good for better hydration, power source of anti-oxidants and acid reflux reliever. There are some alkaline water machines / ionizers and there are also alkaline booster drops that can be purchased from the market. While alkaline water has its health benefits, we must also be aware that a high value of alkaline may cause harm to the gastrointestinal tract and skin.
If drinking water is life, the challenge is how to passionately maintain it clean and safe, make it affordable, and with an alkaline boost.
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Photo credits: Pixabay
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