Liem Son sourced its water from a canal filled with agricultural run-off and passed it off as coming from a thousand-year-old source in the mountains.
Local residents of Ky Son Commune in Thuy Nguyen District tipped off Hai Phong authorities that the water processing facility was collecting its water from a local ditch. The murky water is then processed, bottled, and shipped off to customers.
The 19-liter jugs were sold for VND10,000 under the brand name Vinalis. Pham Thu Xanh, director of the city's health department, announced that the facility will be fined VND100 million (US$4,300) for the infraction.
The company has been in operation since 2008, yet has no license. This has made it so the commune authorities have no power to inspect or regulate its activities. Liem Son's owner, Nguyen Van He, admits that he has taken water from the two-kilometer-long canal that runs through the commune which has become increasingly polluted with agricultural runoff in recent years, but notes he hasn't sold much, and only to nearby people.
Last week, Phuc Ha Company, another Hai Phong water facility, was shut down for the same offense. It had been licensed since 2008, but when its water source ran out recently it switched to a filthy ditch.
[Photo via VnExpress]
