Doha
Tap water in Qatar is as good as bottled water, a study by Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), a member of Qatar Foundation, has found.
The study has also revealed that some imported bottled water brands has higher concentrations of elements such as arsenic and chromium than the locally produced tap and bottled water. However they are still much lower than the health based guidelines for drinking water.
“The quality of Qatar’s drinking water is very high, higher than many local consumers think,” said Nora Kuiper, a leading researcher on the project at QEERI.
“The real take away message is that tap water in the country is just as safe as bottled water, either locally produced or imported brands,” added Candace Rowell, a fellow researcher working on this project.
QEERI scientists used advanced analytical tools to characterise 113 tap water and 62 bottled water samples collected across Qatar. All samples were analysed for elemental content and volatile compounds.
“We interviewed people in their homes to get an idea of what people were drinking and why. We needed to understand how local residents feel about Qatar’s drinking water,” explained Candace Rowell
The answers were clear, only about 30% of the local population regularly drinks tap water, most people prefer to drink bottled water.
All of the tap and bottled water in Qatar is safe to drink, but some imported water has higher concentrations of tested parametres such as arsenic (average concentration in imported water = 0.62 parts-per-billion (ppb)); and chromium (1.04 ppb) than the locally produced tap and bottled water.
Imported water comes from natural freshwater sources that can contain naturally occurring elements, such as arsenic, that are present in different types of rock or sediment and can leach into the drinking water source. However, the levels observed in imported water brands in Qatar are still much lower than the health based guidelines for drinking water. The guideline values for arsenic and chromium are 10 ppb and 100 ppb, respectively.
QEERI scientists determined that Qatar’s tap and bottled water conform to the quality guidelines established by the World Health Organisation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The guidelines exist for trace elements (such as lead and arsenic) and organic compounds (such as benzene) that may cause negative health outcomes or affect the taste or odour of water.
QEERI is engaged in several researches in relation towards the National Water Security Grand Challenge which includes projects related to desalination and treatment technologies, water quality and exposure, among many others
