Water Quality in a Packaged Drinking Water Plant
There are 2 prominent reasons why Packaged Drinking Water is consumed :
- Convenience while in transit
- Uniform quality irrespective of the place you go to.
However, point no2 is discussed below. There is a Govt Body, the B.I.S. which has made it mandatory to every Packaged Drinking Producer to get the ISI license under standard IS - 14543. And there are also set norms through detailed documentation on how every production unit needs to maintain uniform quality standards.
Point No1 : Follow the Hygienic Standards as per the IS : 14543
In a Packaged Drinking Water Plant, usually, the raw water source is the Borewell Water. The Water Treatment section, with the help of the R.O. Unit, removes nearly all the Minerals from the raw water & adds back the required ones in necessary dosage. These added minerals should be within the prescribed limits defined by the B.I.S. as per the Standard allotted IS-14543. Following & respecting the process is the 1st most important point.
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Point No.2 :- Understand "Why" there is a need for consistent monitoring
The Raw water , which comes from ground water is sourced from the aquifers. This quality might change from time to time. This might affect the treatment required for the raw water. Hence it needs a consistent monitoring at various stages on a regular basis, as specified by the B.I.S.
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Point No.3 :- Follow the B.I.S. Testing schedule
The B.I.S. has cheated a schedule for testing water. Some tests are 4 hourly, some of them are daily, weekly, monthly etc. Following the schedules as a ritual is the key to quality.
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Point No.4 :- Have it all within the Plant itself
B.I.S. has laid down the complete document on its website about the hygienic standards to be followed. It has to be maintained WITHIN the plant itself.
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Point No.5 :- Have in house Quality Personnel to maintain it
The B.I.S. has specified 2 separate laboratories : One for Chemical Parameters & One for Microbiological Parameters. These departments are looked after by 2 quality Chemists.
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Point No.6 :- Maintain the Labs Properly
The labs should be exactly as per the specified document by IS 14543. Outside labs for daily testing is not allowed. However, certain reports on annual basis & monthly basis are still required from an outside BIS approved lab; but the regular ones from the In-House lab itself. In the hygienic Requiremement, there is a full list of Glassware & Chemicals given.
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Point No.7 :- Maintain the Parameters
As the raw water quality changes from time & season, thus the quantum of added minerals if any. However, as mentioned earlier, play within the limits & maintain the records.
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Point No.8 :- Be prepared for surprise visits
If you maintain all books & records as per the B.I.S. specifications, you will hardly need to worry about surprise visits. However, you will need to keep a close look at all the departments through diplomatic HR policies etc.
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Point No.9 :- Observe your Distribution as well
If BIS finds you faulty samples from any of your Point of Sale (POS) places, without delay they will place a "STOP" mark , meaning you can't start production until it's cleared off. Hence it's not just important to maintain quality at your factory, but also at the POS.
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Point No.10 :- Follow fssai rules strictly
Besides the ISI license, the producers also need to maintain the fssai license. Please see to it, observe their rules, schedule & renewals properly. This is also a key quality hack.
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These 10 points will cover most of the quality hacks for a Hygienic Packaged Drinking Water Plant.
If you have some question/ something valuable to share, please reply in the comment section. Thanks
