Kenya — Coast Bottled Water Manufacturers Association has called for a review of the introduction a new tax regime that takes effect on August 1, 2018.
Michael Otieno, the chairperson of the Coast Bottled Water Manufacturers Association, said these additional taxes will mean an increase on the operational cost.
"An increase in our operational cost will mean an increase in the price of the bottled water.
Currently, a 300ml bottle of water goes for Sh15, but it will jump to Sh25, a 500ml bottle of water will trade at Sh30 up from Sh20 if the new taxes are imposed.
"We want these new taxes to be scrapped or reviewed altogether," said Ochieng.
Otieno adds that if the excise duty is implemented the 1.25ltr bottle will cost Sh70, up from Sh50 while the 1.5ltr bottle will cost Sh75 up from Sh55.
10ltr bottle will jump from Sh200 to Sh300 while the 20ltr bottle will cost Sh500 from Sh300.
Another member of the association, Ahmed Mohamed, said the increased taxes will make operational costs unbearable to the companies forcing them to downsize their workforce or close shop altogether.
There are 120 bottled water companies at the Coast, which have employed about 1,600 people across the region and nationally.
Countrywide, there are about 600 bottled water companies.

A Scottish council is giving out free bottled water to residents affected by shortages in private supplies caused by the heatwave.
Although the vast majority of Scotland has access to public water supplies, nearly 4 per cent of the population rely on private water supplies and the Scottish Government last week released funding to councils to help those affected by the shortage.
There are more than 800 private water supplies in Moray serving about 4,825 properties.
Monday saw a high of 33.3C at Santon Downham in Suffolk, but it is set to get even hotter, with temperatures expected to peak tomorrow and Friday.
An amber “heat health watch” warning, put out when temperatures are predicted to hit 30C (86F) during the day and 15C (59F) at night for at least two consecutive days, has been issued for parts of England.
The UK has seen the driest half of summer on record, with just 47mm (1.85 inches) of rain falling between 1 June and 16 July.
The Met Office said temperatures of 35C were forecast for tomorrow in East Anglia and London, with the potential for the mercury to climb even higher.
A respite from the heat could come by the end of the week, when thunderstorms are expected in eastern areas.
John Lewis said sales of electrical cooling products were up 315 per cent week-on-week as weather forecasts showed no relief from the high temperatures for at least a fortnight.
Charcoal barbecue sales are up 116 per cent on last year.

In fact, one company that’s been put to the test – Nature’s Best – was found to be really not that different to tap water at all.
Australian tap water is subject to stringent testing and regulations to ensure it’s safe to drink but bottled water is classified as a food product and not subject to the same controls which means quality and mineral content can vary depending on the brand.
Testing showed tap water has a relatively high concentration of minerals like calcium and magnesium, more than most of the bottled brands, except Fiji water.
"Below four is something that does damage your enamel," Dr Leusch said.
"Tap water should really be marketed as mineral water."
Dr Leusch said anything that said "safe, pure Australian water" was probably just tap water.
"In the end, I reckon when you’re buying this, most of the cost is the plastic container.
Gold Coast tap water had a level of fluoride that was expected, but all bottles contained some amount of it, and Nature’s Best had more.
"It’s a natural element, it’s found in some of our groundwaters as well," Dr Leusch said.
Pure water is more generic than that and it can actually be tap water that has been filtered and bottled into this."

According to court records disclosed on July 19, Crystal Geyser created an "Arsenic Pond" in a remote part of eastern California between Death Valley and The Sequoia National Forest, and then didn’t disclose that water they pumped out of the pond and delivered to water treatment plants was full of the poisonous heavy metal.
According to an investigation by the EPA’s Criminal Investigations Division and the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, Crystal Geyser produced thousands of gallons of arsenic-contaminated water at its Olancha, CA facility, about 200 miles north of Los Angeles.
When the filters are back-flushed for cleaning, thousands of gallons of contaminated water were diverted to a holding pond, the indictment said.
In 2014, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control notified Crystal Geyser that the wastewater was deemed hazardous waste and needed to be transported and treated in compliance with environmental and hazardous waste laws.
The Department of Justice said that the investigation and indictment did not concern the safety or quality of Crystal Geyser’s bottled water.
Crystal Geyser stopped diverting wastewater into the Arsenic Pond in October 2014, the indictment said.
Some of the water was transported to a hazardous waste facility in Los Angeles County.
Laura Cunningham, California Director of Western Watersheds Project, said that pollution from industrial waste has been a particularly common issue in California’s recent history.
Adam Scow, California director of Food and Water Watch, said he doubted the fine would amount to a threat to the company’s business model.
Water is our most important public resource.”

Water straight from the tap ranked among the best quality for drinking when compared to market leaders like Pump and Mount Franklin (stock photo) It also had a PH balance of seven – neutral – where any number below is considered too acidic and potentially harmful for teeth enamel.
Tests found three popular bottled waters, Mount Franklin, Mount Franklin lightly sparkling and Pump contained below safe levels of PH, respectively 4.8, 3.7 and 4.6.
Water bottles are classified as a food product and therefore exempt from regulations and tests which ensure tap water is safe to drink.
Tests found three popular brands, Mount Franklin, Mount Franklin lightly sparkling and Pump contained below safe levels of PH, respectively 4.8, 3.7 and 4.6 (pictured) Water scientist Dr Fred Leusch said its labeling ‘pure, safe, Australian water’ was nothing more than acknowledgement that tap water was safe for drinking.
‘In the end, I reckon when you’re buying this, most of the cost is the plastic container.
What’s inside is just worth 0.1 of a cent.’
When it came to mineral content, calcium and magnesium, tap water had the highest concentration out of all brands, except Fiji (pictured) On the lowest end of the spectrum was Pump with 7.4, followed by the two Mount Franklin bottles, then Natures Best with an unsurprisingly similar amount to the tap.
Dr Leusch said it was virtually impossible to completely avoid fluoride, given it was evident in even the purest form of water.
He added people should be cautious not to fall for market ‘gimmicks’ used to persuade them into buying things they don’t truly need.
‘All our water is eventually from the same place, it’s a closed cycle.

Autoplay:Play Video0:00 0:00: 0%: 0%LIVE -0:00 KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind.
"I mean, it’s disgusting," she said.
Her family has been drinking and cooking with bottled water.
She said she’s called the utility office repeatedly, only to be told their working on it.
"Clothes are getting ruined," Wright said.
We’re trying not to bathe in it."
It’s been more than a month since the Knightstown Water Department said it was repairing the filtration system, with plans to have it done a week later.
The town said it plans to start using the new filters by Wednesday.
PREVIOUS | Knightstown residents concerned over yellow water, high iron levels But in the meantime, Wright and other customers say Knightstown owes them money after months of getting billed for brown water.
The utility has not immediately responded to RTV6’s request for comment.

Some people relying on private water supplies in rural Carmarthenshire say they ran out of drinking water weeks ago due to the dry weather.
Carmarthenshire council said people affected could get in touch for help.
Ms Rees’ home is usually supplied with water from a well in her garden but it started to run out in June.
"We fill up buckets of water and we only flush the toilet with those buckets of water, maybe once or twice a day."
About 1% of the population of England and Wales use a private water supply, according to Welsh Water, and they do not have to pay a water company for it.
Welsh Water said it was providing bottled water for councils to "distribute to customers whose private water supplies are currently affected".
Carmarthenshire County Council said anyone whose private drinking water source has dried up should get in touch for advice, with drinking water available at pick-up points.
Farmers Geoff and Sue Freeman are draining a pond to provide their 200 sheep with water after their two wells dried up, and are relying on the goodwill of family and friends to bathe.
Mr Freeman said: "You feel uncomfortable being in their house because you are actually dirty and that is not a very pleasant feeling."
Sunshine reveals ‘long lost’ settlements He also explained how a neighbour with three children had to temporarily leave due to a water shortage.

MOMBASA, Kenya, Jul 24 – Coast Bottled Water Manufacturers Association has called for a review of the introduction a new tax regime that takes effect on August 1, 2018.
Michael Otieno, the chairperson of the Coast Bottled Water Manufacturers Association, said these additional taxes will mean an increase on the operational cost.
“An increase in our operational cost will mean an increase in the price of the bottled water.
“We want these new taxes to be scrapped or reviewed altogether,” said Ochieng.
Otieno adds that if the excise duty is implemented the 1.25ltr bottle will cost Sh70, up from Sh50 while the 1.5ltr bottle will cost Sh75 up from Sh55.
10ltr bottle will jump from Sh200 to Sh300 while the 20ltr bottle will cost Sh500 from Sh300.
Another member of the association, Ahmed Mohamed, said the increased taxes will make operational costs unbearable to the companies forcing them to downsize their workforce or close shop altogether.
There are 120 bottled water companies at the Coast, which have employed about 1,600 people across the region and nationally.
Countrywide, there are about 600 bottled water companies.
“We will see more than 1,600 people employed in these smaller water companies rendered jobless.

JACKSON, Miss.
— As the water warning in Jackson continues, one group is being hit particularly hard.
The city of Jackson has six senior centers that are providing bottled water to the elderly, but a lot of older residents said they are struggling after they leave the center.
“It puts us in a predicament.
They tell us to drink filtered water, but how are we supposed to access it?
City officials said last week that chemicals used to treat Jackson’s water haven’t been consistently maintained to proper pH levels, which is necessary to keep lead and copper from leaching into the water.
“I don’t drink it, but I have to boil it or let it run for so long before I can use it,” resident Lily Christian said.
Some senior citizens said they are getting help, but worry about the future when it comes to buying bottled water.
“They said we need to drink filtered water.
Some senior centers around Jackson are sending residents home with a couple bottles of water bought by volunteers.

CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico man has made it his mission to keep people "cool" in these ridiculously hot days.
It’s called "Operation Cool Down."
His goal is to keep everyone, especially the elderly, from feeling the effects of the grueling summer heat.
"There is a desperate need,” he said.
Tatum spends his time off work distributing fans and bottled water to those in need in southeastern New Mexico.
He also has a helper, his 8-year-old daughter, Harmony.
Tatum said he finds most people through referrals on his Facebook group, and many are unaware about what’s to come.
"The look on the people’s faces once you give them something, you know, they’re so appreciative and that right there is so priceless,” said Tatum.
He said that’s what keeps him going, even sticking it out in the heat himself to hold a car wash this past weekend with other volunteers to raise money.
“We’re burning up in here, so I really appreciate him coming out, helping,” said one woman featured on the Facebook page.