Thiruvananthapuram: The Food Safety Department of Kerala has issued stringent guidelines on drinking water distribution using tankers in the state.
As per the norms, only water that has been disinfected through chlorination should be distributed. The vehicle should have a chlorine test kit and a person, who knows how to use it, should also be present.
Only permissible chemicals should be used in the inner coating of the tanker. Not just the tankers, the distribution hoses and pumps should also be disinfected.
If water is collected from sources other than those of the Water Authority, these need to have a Food Business Operator (FBO) licence. Also, it should be certified every six months that the water from the source is safe.
Only those with licences should distribute water in the tanker lorries and vehicles attached to tanks.
Licence for distribution should be taken only after registering the number of each vehicle.
These vehicles should display a board that says 'drinking water'. Other vehicles should say 'water for other uses'. Licence number should also be displayed.
The vehicles and tankers should have the Food Safety Department's licence, a report from an accredited lab that says the water is safe, mentions tanker's capacity, and a certificate on the coating in the tank.
Food Safety Commissioner A R Ajayakumar said that the consumers should also be cautious and buy water only from licenced distributors.
Hotels, restaurants, flats, hospitals, houses, and entrepreneurs, who need potable water, should keep a register on the details of the distributors.
They should keep a tab on the details of the water source, amount of water bought, licence details of the distributors, and a copy of the contract.
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