Despite a number of scientific studies in Qatar that show most tap water here is safe to drink, many residents remain skeptical, opting instead to consume bottled water.
Cognizant of this, Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) has launched a survey to figure out the reasons people here won’t use the water.
The short online survey, titled “Do you think Kahramaa water is drinkable?,” takes less than five minutes and is open until Saturday, Feb. 7.
It asks residents what their main drinking water source is at home (tap and/or bottled water), and what tap water is primarily used for (hygiene, cooking, drinking).
Residents are also asked if they treat tap water with filters, boiling, etc. before use, and if they trust Kahramaa’s water quality. Finally, survey respondents are asked how Kahramaa can increase consumers’ confidence and trust in their water quality.
Safe to drink?
In the past, the Supreme Council of Health, Kahramaa and the Qatar Science and Technology Park have all conducted separate studies finding the tap water here to be fit to drink.
But the SCH has admitted that maintenance of filtration systems in water tanks and reservoirs are key to keeping the water in Qatar healthy – which falls under the mandate of municipal inspectors.
Do you drink Kahramaa water? Why or why not? Thoughts?
And the bottled water tastes like plastic. No wonder so many ex-pats stick with beer.
OFC mate, buying cheap 1 Q.R bottle with bad PH level will have a different flavor than buying 10Q.R Oxygen. Although its only water after all, what you pay can make a difference if you can actually taste the “plasticy” flavor. After a research that I did long time ago, Evian and Volvic are quite good ( expensive though)
In my home, we use both cheap bottled ( cuz taste doesn’t really matter in our case) and filtered tap water for drinking
The water may be okay. The storage tanks definitely are not!
Absolutely
Considering that Doha is one of the most polluted cities in the world, the tanks should be cleaned every four months. Does that happen anywhere??
I’m afraid to notice that, it happens only when the pressure pump gets damaged and people peek into the tank rarely by mistake.
Doha is the most polluted city in world. Are you sure? Any credible study to prove that. Just asking.
One of, one of
go check for yourself it is actually one of the most polluted cities in the world are u an idiot u live here yet u don’t feel it see it or smell it ??? Mr.nonsense
The way you replied to my comment shows your intellect and hence the validity of your statement above. Thanks but no thanks .
whatever apparently your the only one that thinks it’s not one of the most polluted cities and i don’t give a damn about what you say
You need help. Where did I say that Doha isn’t a polluted city.
really are you kidding me
The young lady apparently missed how to have a reasoned conversation with support for her opinions. I’m sure that it will come over time.
He was JUST asking for a credible source for the statement. Nothing to be abusing about it…!!
….
The water that comes out of our tap smells of chlorine all the time.
Ours is the same. Our bathroom smells like a swimming pool after showering. It never used to be like this. Only started about a year ago. We had the water tested but we were to.d that the chlorine levels were within permitted guidelines. But we couldn’t find out whose guidelines these were
Yeah, I started noticing the heavy chlorine smell about 5 years ago. My mom says that she gets the sniffles and coughs after taking a shower. Doctors here have told her the connection is in her imagination and tried referring her to a psychiatrist (which they also tried to do when she complained of neck pains for 3 years and then we finally discovered she had severe osteoporosis!), but I think she might have a valid point — steamy chlorinated water can’t be very good for the lungs. She’s just more sensitive to it than younger and more fit people I guess.
I will never drink Tap water as the water suply system upto kitchens is totally wrong here.
Generally there should be a driect tap line to every kitchen here so that watar can be received directly from Watar department reservoir and not first stored in tanks at roof tops..
What actually is wrong is to store clean water on rooftop tanks.
Qatar atmosphere is filled with extremely tiny particles of sand dust and it is piercing in even if everything is well sealed..and since rooftop tanks are totally abandoned after installed so once a year if anyone checks the tank there is always a thick layer of mud in the bottom of tank
water is not unhygienic but its storagd system is unhygienic.
Who ever visits here 1st thing they are told dont drink direct tap wate it will damage your kidneys.
Why???
Its not water it is actually sand particles in water..
Kahrama should first survey for the supply of water not water itself..
Riyaz Bhat
55553407
thanks for including your mobile number, I may have a few questions
Best comment of the day lol
You said it all..nothing more to add.
Mr.Riyaz…
We are talking about Kahramaa Water quality. Not you Building Tank hygiene. You should ask the owner to do regular cleaning of the water tank. And if your owner is not helping log the case in baladiya they will definitely help you
KHAARAMA water is good for drinking and better than bottled. If you have any doubt we have water testing labs you and take the sample of water and do the testing…I would say do comparison between the bottle one and the one which you recevice from Kahramaa . I am 100% sure Kahramaa water will be much better.
Right, that’s it, I’m going to bottle and sell it
Mr. JAVED!
I think you missed the main subject of my comment,.
I said its not about the water, it is supply and storage of this water..
bottled water directly comes from factory to water dispenser and not to store in roof top fiber glass or plastic tanks in extremely high temperatures and open to UV raises and mix with the dust particles..
besides you are right my building owner should regularly come and clean my water storage tank.. ya right in my dreams..lol
what I try to tell here is that there should be a direct tap line from Kaharam water supply unit to Kitchin sink so that clean water would not get unhygienic in roof top tanks.
now dont advice me I should use a filter.
i am not talking about myself I am talking about genral public who are not able to avail technology in there kitchens but deserve clean water.
You are correct Mr. Bhat. I totally agree with you.
I found a dead pigeon in my tank. Must have been there for a couple of months too. Use that water to brush my teeth. Was wondering why i was getting sick.
Who in Doha can reliably clean the water tank on the rooftop?
I have been drinking tap water for a very long time but through a 1 micron purefier & which I trust more than the plastic bottles…but I should consider cleaning the tanks though they are sealed in semi closed room.
Thanks
If a little sand and mud in our water intake was a problem, humanity (and all the other mammals) would not have made it this far.
The water quality is fine when processed but storage and transport is a different matter!
Stick to cognac and fine wines, the alcohol content sterilises the water.
The water in the tap never gets cold enough. Hence, we use a water cooler for drinking water. We use the tap for cooking, teethbrushing, etc. though without concern.
don’t drink it!
drink it after filtering and boiling
I had a sinus operation a couple of years back and the first thing that doctors warned me about was letting tap water anywhere near my nose or face and only use sterilised water.
I have been a resident of Qatar for the past 25 Years and all these years we have been consuming the tap water not only for drinking purpose but even for cooking as well. We have a Filter fixed to the outlet tap and we consume it directly. We have not seen any issues till time.
Confirms to be safe for drinking !!!
Your overhead water tank must be pretty clean and well maintained. Lucky you. Your landlord must be a very hardworking and a very clean guy.
Just install a filter on the line of incoming water supply and observe how dirty the filter will be after a week only..
yes I do, having 4 filters all connected that I change every 4 months…..the bottled plastic water is dangerous because of how it is kept often in the sun. After having it checked and seeing all the residual elements it contained I could not drink it anymore
i don’t have a good reason why i don’t drink but wen i came to Qatar i found my colleagues not drinking so i decided no to also.
When i lived in al sadd, it made my hair fall out from washing. moved from there, now its fine!
We cook with filtered tap water, and we only drink glass bottled water.
Same here
besides tap water actually contains a brain eating Amoeba it’s not safe to drink and their statement says MOST tap waters are safe which means some are not and how would i know if mine is ??????
Maybe where ever you come from! People who pay for bottled water delivered to their house are wasting their money. My partner was a previous manager in the water department, and he assured me that Qatar spends billions on not only desalination ( for supply), but processing, filtration, fluoridation, etc. to ensure a safe water supply. Our family has never drunk, bathed, or cooked in anything but tap water since we moved here, a few years ago. And the taste is good. So we have no worries.
i’m from Qatar maybe you are right our water is safe but other countries may have this problem.
I’ve traveled to many African and Asian countries where I would NOT drink the water, nor even brush my teeth in it. Happily Qatar is not such a place. Same for Abu Dhabi, where I lived also.
oh well thank god
We have a filtration system that our water goes through prior to going into the house. I backwash it every month and you would not believe the amount of dirt that it catches. I’m worried about what it does NOT catch. Water sitting in a plastic tank is not sanitary, especially in the heat of doha. Add to that the amount of minerals and you know why kidney stones and the like are prevalent here. They can sanitize the water all they want but what happens on the way to you and while in your tank is out of their control.
You are very lucky. Your Flat owner must have cleaned your overhead tank regularly. But better still check it by yourself before continuing further.
I’ve seen a lot worse. We had friends in Jakarta who came to Singapore every year as a family, to go into hospital to be ‘de-wormed’. Tiny parasites would get into them under the fingernails and toenails when bathing or washing dishes. If left untreated long enough, they would damage the heart, liver, and other internal organs. Haven’t heard of anything like that here.
There is so much wrong with the utilities infrastructure in Qatar that was built in past years and subsequently haphazardly amended and extended that I can’t see why anyone should have faith in the most sensitive element of it – the drinki9ng water supply. Inside the buildings the standard of installation and maintenance that I (working in the construction industry) have seen further convinces me that I will never drink mains supply water in Qatar.
may be water itself s good and drinkable but the problem is storage tanks which are too dirty
I don’t drink it mainly because I definitely do NOT trust my landlord to have had our water tank cleaned regularly and we have now been in our villa for 18 months and there has been no mention of it being cleaned so go figure!! 🙁 He has already shown his true colours by threatening me for not agreeing to spend money on replacing the lawn in our small villa front garden (which we would have done at the end of our contract however he screamed at me that we wouldn’t get one riyal back from our deposit so we won’t be doing anything on moving out in July now! why would we? very scary person!) – so combined with the fact that we were conned and have to pay up to QAR500 for each and every little thing that goes wrong in our villa (and so many things have broken since we moved in!) – somehow I doubt he would outlay the money to maintain anything here worse luck! Bottled water for us too, however due to being in the summer hot sun that probably is bad for you too from the plastic leaching! 🙁 Ya just can’t win living here in Qatar!
I still find it strange that a country with the wealth of Qatar still requires water storage tanks, sometimes one at ground level and one on the roof, and also has gas for cooking in bottles. Instead of wasting billions on sports stadiums and other projects, why not provide all residents with proper water and gas supplies.
Be good to see an end of those slow moving water tankers on the roads.
You score big on your observation amigo.
Because they are morons, just look at the education system…they have no idea about furthering society, humanity, everything is about show, sparkle, perceived power and status..
The tap water is fine, but all most all the storage tank are not clean, If tanks are clean regularly then we can drink water directly.
It’s not with the water, it is the pipes and tanks which are filthy.