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29 March 2024

DM warns residents against water filter fraudsters

Images Courtesy : Sneha May Francis

Published
By Sneha May Francis

If you, like many others in the UAE, depend on bottled water for your daily consumption, chances are you would have already been or might soon be approached by agents selling water purifiers.

Their modus operandi is simple – and rather convincing. They’ll take samples of your drinking water (bottled and tap), and “test” it to prove that your water is impure, while the ones they’ve carted along (and apparently purified by their system) emerges as the superior quality.



The images of murky water left behind from the tests shocks many, encouraging them to switch to water purifiers without any further ado.

The cost of installing one works around Dh3,000, and many residents have fallen prey to this ‘scam’ of sorts. Why? Because what a majority of residents fail to understand is that they have been duped based on a simple scientific test, which doesn’t in anyway establish the quality of the water.


They fail to realise that they have been exposed to a simple marketing gimmick, exploited by sellers of water purifiers the world over.

“Electrolysis merely shows that tap (or bottled) water contains minerals and could therefore conduct electricity and facilitate the electrolysis reaction. This is why the water changes colour,” explains Mohammed Altaf, Food Health Inspector at Dubai Municipality.

“The water that the agent brings along contains little or no minerals and therefore non-conductive. This is why it doesn’t change colour.”

Also, the process doesn’t show how unseen bacteria and fungi are cleared from water.


Bobby Krishna, Principal Food Studies and Surveys Officer at Dubai Municipality, adds: “What you must do is add salt into the water the agent purified. You will see the difference.”

The water will then discolour.


The change of colour, both officials reiterate, does not determine the quality.

The modus operandi of these agents is well rehearsed, and almost never altered.

First, a door-to-door sales rep takes down contact details from residents and later, a call centre agent fixes an appointment for demonstration.

The agents traditionally starts by focusing on how clean, drinking water is essential for good health – a principle that doesn’t hint at sales, but genuine concern over one’s health.

A lengthy science lecture establishes the importance of treating water to make it drinkable.


“Water must have minerals and salts, but their values must be maintained to a specific standard,” announces the agent. “What you get in your tap or in the bottle are not accurate quantities. These variations could impact your health.”

Words like “reverse osmosis” and “total dissolved solids” are used often, and could leave an average person a tad confused.

The talker continues without a pause, not even for a sip of water, determined to make the sale point.

Twenty or thirty minutes later, he quizzes on your annual budget for bottled water purchases, and works out a theory that points towards how the cost-cutting could eventually lead to high medical bills.


“If you install our system, you might have to shell out a big amount now, but in the long run, it will be safe and effective. You can safeguard your health from bad bacteria.”

He, then, summons for water samples and sticks a pair of electrodes into the glasses of water, which he has lined up. A glass of tap water, one of bottled water, and the other from the agent’s own bottle. The device is plugged, and left on for a few minutes, during which the water changes colour.

Only, his water sample appears the most clear.

“This is what we guarantee,” he declares, holding the glass up.


“We will repeat this test after we fix our purifier, and you will see the same result.”

Often, unsuspecting residents are sold at this point, and a deal is struck.

Officials at Dubai Municipality step in and ask residents to look for reputed brands that come with “product certification marks like NSF and CE”.

That’s not all. They claim that water provided to every UAE residence is of good quality.

“Tap water is completely safe to drink at the time of dispatch,” adds Bobby.

“But, the tanks (where this is stored) must be cleaned systematically, at least once in six months, to ensure it is unpolluted.


“Commercial tanks are monitored by us, but not the residential ones.”

Even, the bottled water (the big gallons and pet bottles) are checked for quality before its sold in the market.

“Regular inspections are carried out to determine the standards are maintained, and the bottles are stored well,” explains Altaf.

“Bottled water is of very high standard in the UAE, with a new requirement to have a quality mark from ESMA,” adds Bobby.

“We follow Quality Assurance systems such as HACCP and ISO 22000. This prevents water from being contaminated in the first place. They are more advanced concepts compared to the traditional test and release method.”

Altaf emphasises how unlabelled bottled water are not allowed in the market, and if any resident spots them, they must inform 800900.