Comparative assessment of physico-chemical quality of bottled and tap water in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Samples of various brands of bottled water sold in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania were analyzed for physicochemical water quality parameters. For comparison purposes, tap water was similarly examined. The results showed great variations in physico-chemical quality of bottled water, with some samples exceeding the Tanzania Drinking Water Quality Standards for nitrate, pH and lead. Significant discrepancies were observed between the labelled and measured values for all the investigated parameters except for pH. Meanconcentration values of TDS and nitrate in tap water were found to be significantly lower than those of bottled water. On the whole, this study suggests that bottled water offers little advantage over tap water except in terms of turbidity and colour