Water quality in Rawalpindi and Islamabad

In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, most homes do not drink straight from the tap. Water arrives through supply lines or by tanker, sits in overhead and underground tanks, and is topped up with bottled and canister water for drinking. Each of those steps is a chance for clean water to pick up contamination before it reaches the glass.

Bottled water is trusted, but not always safe

The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, the official body that monitors drinking water, tests commercial brands regularly and repeatedly finds that many are unsafe, carrying bacterial or chemical contamination. The everyday risks add up:

• Bottles left in the sun, where heat can drive chemicals out of the plastic
• Loose or broken seals on the cap
• Canisters refilled from unknown sources in the informal market

Stored water carries its own danger

A tank that is rarely cleaned, or that is filled from a contaminated line, becomes a reservoir where bacteria multiply quietly between fills. The water can look perfectly clear and still carry the organisms that cause cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.

UNICEF reports that around seventy percent of household water in Pakistan is contaminated, and that unsafe water and poor sanitation are linked to about fifty three thousand child deaths each year from diarrhoea.

In a dense twin city, that exposure is daily and constant.

The practical answer

Treat the water you store. A measured dose of an Aquatabs tablet in a tank or container releases a controlled amount of disinfectant that kills the bacteria, viruses, and parasites responsible for waterborne disease, and keeps the water protected while it stands. The tablet is sized to the volume, so a household tank and a drinking container each get the right dose. For the exact number of tablets, follow the dosing on the pack.