Qatar’s tap water is safe to drink, the Supreme Council of Health has said, following an examination of 3,500 drinking samples from January to November of last year.

The findings support numerous studies conducted by different organizations in Qatar, including Kahramaa and the Qatar Science and Technology Park.

Of the samples most recently analyzed, the SCH said some 88 percent of them were fit for human consumption. The remaining 400-odd samples contained traces of dust and dirt, which were non-toxic, the Qatar Tribune reports.

Despite the findings, the quality of Qatar’s tap water has been up for debate for years, with many residents preferring to drink bottled water instead.

Last month, Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon of ILoveQatar.net blogged about his concerns after the filter in his QR10,000 water filtration turned brown after 10 days:

Now this is quite scary to me. Something that’s supposed to last MUCH longer, turns a filthy brown in just a short period of time. I’m concerned for people who don’t have filters..

Think about this for a second… washing your face, your hair, brushing your teeth, or possibly event drinking this… This is the result of an apartment that’s only a few years old.

I wonder if anything is being done? How harmful is it?

Admittedly, maintenance of filtration systems in water tanks and reservoirs are key to keeping the water in Qatar healthy, an SCH official said. And it’s up to municipal inspectors to make sure that happens.

Do you drink the tap water?

Credit: Top photo by Richard Messenger; second photo by Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon