How many times have you returned home late from the office and went to the kitchen just to find that your water can, your only source of “safe” drinking water, is completely empty? It is not surprising that you forgot to call your neighbourhood store bhaiyya to order a new water can amidst your busy work schedule. But you do need water to drink. So, at 9 PM, when all you want to do is get some sleep, you have a drinking water problem that you really don’t want to deal with, correct?
Guess what the bigger problem is?
An even bigger problem is the quality of the so-called drinking water you get in 20-litre plastic water cans. With thousands of unbranded and unlicensed packaged water providers across India, how can you trust the quality of the drinking water you get in the 20-litre plastic water can?
You cannot. Yet, you have been drinking water out of those water cans every single day. For the past two years? Five years? A decade? We don’t blame you because you were just looking for a convenient drinking water solution.
But now that you have understood the seriousness of the issue, stick with us till the end of this article as we discuss:
Why the water you get in water cans are unsafe
Why a majority of the people still prefer water cans
Why getting a water can is not the ideal solution to drinking water problems
What’s a reasonable solution to the drinking water problem
Let’s understand the water can market and the drinking water we have been consuming a little better.
- Why the water you get in water cans are unsafe
Did you know that almost 85% of the water cans contain water with impurities and other elements that are unsafe to consume? While it may have come as a shock to some of you, it is true.
There are more than 3000 unbranded, unlicensed packaged drinking water providers in the Nation Capital Region (NCR) alone. Similarly, there will be thousands of unlicensed packaged drinking water providers across India. There is no way to know the source of the water that is in your water can. This means that they could be filling up the water cans from any water source without assessing the water quality.
Almost 80% of the surface water in India is polluted. And an alarming amount of groundwater is also polluted by various organic and inorganic substances. While the water in some areas may have a high fluoride content, water in other areas may have high iron content or even arsenic content. These elements in drinking water may do no harm to human beings if they are within the permissible limits. But, high concentrations of these elements can harm human health.
The water of excellent quality will have less than 300 mg/litre of total dissolved solids (TDS). Some of the important constituents of TDS are calcium, chloride, magnesium, sodium, carbonate and sulfate. If the TDS is not regulated, the water may contain high amounts of these elements which can be harmful to the consumer. So, if the water filled in a water can is from an area that has a higher TDS level and has not been filtered or purified, it is not safe drinking water.
Well…the uncertain and unmonitored levels of TDS and other impurities in the water you receive in your water cans is just one of the concerns. Another problem is that of having unclean cans.
The suppliers need to replace the plastic water cans at regular intervals depending on the use. It is not safe to use the same water can for months together without recycling them. Also, they need to clean the water cans thoroughly before refilling them. But there is no way you can be certain that the water can you are receiving is clean. Especially, if they are delivered by unbranded or unlicensed packaged drinking water providers.
In critical times, like the current COVID-19 situation, it is important to make sure that the drinking water you consume is clean, safe and healthy. With the water cans, you are not only unaware of the water source but also of who is handling your drinking water before it reaches you.
2. Why a majority of the people still prefer to use water cans
A water can is seemingly the most easily accessible “safe” drinking water option to a lot of people.
If you move into a new apartment, especially in cities like Bengaluru where there is a large migrant population, you will realize that most of the stores in your neighbourhood supply water cans. You can just call the stores to get a water can delivered home.
And you won’t have to make a hefty upfront investment. At the most, you will have to pay a security deposit of ₹150. Given that regular water purifiers come at a high price of about ₹20,000, getting a water can might seem a reasonable choice.
Also, unlike a water purifier, you will not have to worry about the maintenance of a water can. In these scenarios, people completely forget about their health and safety and go ahead to choose an easy option.
Water cans seem to be the go-to option for those who move out of their hometowns for work. It is a temporary solution to their drinking water problems. But as mentioned before, the water cans contain drinking water of questionable quality. There is no way you can be certain about the water source or the purification process that they follow before they fill the water into the cans.
Also read: Why You Should Stop Drinking Water Out of Water Cans
3. Why water can is not the ideal solution to drinking water problems
As mentioned earlier, you might choose to use water cans because you feel that it is a convenient drinking water option.
But how many times have you run out of water a little late at night and had to wait till the shops opened in the morning to replace your water can? Isn’t that one of the worst things to happen when you are back from an exhausting day at work? Of course, unscheduled power cuts can be bad too. But no one has ever said that they can’t survive without electricity.
Once you have spent an entire night without drinking water, you will make sure to order water cans promptly for the next few weeks. Until that day when you have guests at home!
With all the other arrangements that you need to make, you might forget to order a new water can. Nobody will realise that the water can is empty until one person asks for water. But after that, everyone will want a glass of water. That is when you run to the kitchen and realise what you did to yourself. Again.
This can be an endless, vicious cycle.
And if you live on the top floors of a building without an elevator, it won’t come as a surprise when the water delivery person refuses to carry the heavy water can to your home. You might end up carrying it yourself. What you should remember is that you will have to do this at least once every 10 days.
The inconvenience of using water cans become really evident in times like this — the pandemic time. With lockdown regulations in place, shops are open only during a certain time. If you do not order your water can during this time, you might get it only the next day. Moreover, in some apartments and residential communities, there might be restricted entry for outsiders. In that case, it would be even more difficult to get your drinking water delivered to the doorstep.
4. What’s a reasonable solution to the drinking water problem
Safe drinking water is a necessity and we believe that it is the basic right of every human being. It is something that everyone should have access to. For the same reason, you should neither have to drink unsafe, unhealthy water from a water can nor should you have to spend tens of thousands of rupees to purchase a water purifier.
Here’s how you can access safe drinking water without making a hefty investment. You can subscribe to DrinkPrime and get your personalised water purifier.
At DrinkPrime, we understand that water quality in every area can be different. That’s why we have a customisable solution to your drinking water problems. We assess the water quality in your area and ensure that you get perfectly purified water — not over-purified, not under-purified.
Unlike how it is while purchasing other water purifiers, you won’t have to make a hefty investment to subscribe to DrinkPrime. All you need to do is choose a smart subscription plan that suits your water consumption. We will take care of the rest — delivery, installation, lifetime maintenance, filter changes and water quality monitoring.
With the DrinkPrime mobile application, you can also monitor your drinking water quality. You can use the app to recharge your DrinkPrime at any time, even after you get back from the office! You will never have to worry about drinking water again.
