by Hana Namrouqa | May 22,2012

AMMAN — Despite a drop in the number of complaints on the quality of drinking water in the capital, residents still avoid drinking from the tap and prefer bottled water, according to a survey.

A customer satisfaction survey carried out by the Jordan Water Company (Miyahuna) showed that customers avoid drinking tap water, fearing it is contaminated.

“Although the number of quality-related complaints have dropped, people still buy their water from purification plants,” Jumana Ayed, head of Miyahuna’s communication and water awareness department, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.

Miyahuna figures indicate that the number of quality-related complaints totalled 137 during 2011, a drop of 43 per cent compared with 2010.

“The majority of last year’s complaints were due to turbidity,” Miyahuna’s 2011 annual report indicated.

To raise people’s awareness about the safety of drinking water, Miyahuna, which is responsible for the water and wastewater services in Amman, organised a campaign at its headquarters in Jabal Hussein to highlight the safety of tap water.

“Our staff members are meeting with customers and explaining to them about programmes and efforts to ensure that drinking water is safe. It is vital for people to know that tap water is safe and introducing them to our efforts is the key,” Ayed underscored.

Last year, 92,317 samples were collected to test the quality of water at the source and in water networks, the report showed, indicating that the samples underwent 418,924 tests.

Compliance of the collected water samples to microbiological tests stood 100 per cent, according to the annual report.

Following a 1998 water pollution crisis, people lost trust in the quality of drinking water and turned to water purification plants and bottled water as an alternative.

According to official figures, there are around 32 bottled water factories, 542 local water purification plants and five mineral water bottling plants in the Kingdom.

http://jordantimes.com/Amman+residents+remain+distrustful+of+tap+water+%E2%80%94+study++-48260