The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has re-established the requirement of safe water for everyone along with sanitization. However, it is a far-fetched goal in a country like India, where there is barely any decentralized wastewater management system.
However, there has been an increase in buying water online in the last few months amidst lockdown. People are stocking up bottled water for long term usage. Therefore, online drinking water suppliers nearby are in higher demand. Many bottled water brands have introduced online buying of water on their eCommerce store as well as delivering water directly to homes through third party delivery partners to meet the increased demand for bottled water during the pandemic.
According to the analysis done by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), approximately 20-40 litres of water is being used during these unprecedented times, which is way higher than the times before pandemic. People are majorly dependent on drinking water suppliers online and offline due to hygiene issues and scarcity of water in the country due to excess usage of it. It can be assumed that people are cleaning their hands ten times a day instead of the usual five times a day.
Euromonitor, a research and analytics firm states that there has been a constant growth of 18-19% year-on-year in the bottled water segment in India. It is estimated that the country will consume 11, 153.3 million litres of bottled water in 2020.
Expiry Date of Water
Presently, a lot of us are stocking up bottled water in our homes. But we often miss to notice or keep in mind that bottled water does have an expiry date and it won’t last forever. Instead of the sell-by date mentioned on meat and other products, there is a time stamp on bottled water. The expiration date on water sounds a bit weird and misleading, and we often stay confused whether to consume the water if the expiration date has crossed.
Due to carbonation, tap water becomes flat as gas which changes the taste and flavour of the liquid. On the other hand, due to the presence of CO2, stale taste develops with regular water making it slightly acidic. Research and studies state that such types of water can be stored up to 6 months and is safe to consume.
Whereas mineral water goes through proper processing and toxic chemicals like arsenic is removed from the water. CO2 present in the bottled mineral water helps prevent oxidation and reduces the risk of bacterial growth in it. As bottled mineral water comes from natural underground reservoirs and mineral springs, it is higher in mineral content than tap water. Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, bicarbonate, iron and zinc are beneficial for the human body, and currently, the demand is high due to COVID-19 and its perceived purity and the lack of chemical disinfection treatments. Mineral water rich in magnesium helps lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and the calcium and potassium promote blood circulation. Additionally, these minerals also help in strengthening bones and help prevent constipation and improve the digestive system of the body as well.
But you also need to be cautious when you are depending on bottled water. Bottled water is often kept under sunlight and we all know how plastic leach chemicals. It won’t cause major toxicity, but the taste of mineral water might vary due to the sun ray. It is advisable for you to either transfer the water in the copper or glass bottle or avoid it from the sun. This approach will also help the bottled water last beyond its expiration date.
Conclusion
However, the drinkable mineral water is not entirely purified today. It is mixed with impurities, contaminants, and chemicals, which can be harmful for us. As per Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there should be at least 250 parts per million of total dissolved solids (TDS) in mineral water. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the TDS level of water before selling or buying. TDS level in drinking water formulates from places like natural sources, sewage, urban run-offs, industrial wastewater, etc.