Schools given 2 days to clean tanks, dispensers.
Drinking water in 25 private and public schools has been found to be unfit for human consumption, it was revealed during an inspection campaign held by the Sharjah Municipality recently. The schools were given two days to rectify it.
Five schools were found not to have carried out maintenance works on water tanks at all.
Hessah Al Khajah, Director of Private and Public Schools at the Sharjah Education Zone, said the municipality has provided the list of offending schools. “The education zone has contacted these schools and ordered them to immediately change the water tanks and water dispensers and gave them two days to rectify the situation,” she said. “The inspection committee of the education zone will visit these offending schools to ensure they follow the rules to protect students’ health. The schools found failing to follow the instruction will face penalties and face hefty fines.”
A top official at Sharjah Municipality said regular inspections are carried out at the beginning and during every academic year covering all schools in Sharjah for checking out the quality of water and the condition of tanks.
The negative results are reported to the Sharjah Education District and legal action is taken against offenders, he added.
“Most water samples have also been sent to the Sharjah Central Laboratory (SCL), which provides accurate results on the quality of water in schools,” he explained.
As part of its plans to maintain quality of water and food in schools to protect students’ health, the section is coordinating with the General Secretariat of Municipalities as well as the SCL on a regular basis. “This kind of violation will be taken into account when imposing penalties and fines against schools in coordination with the education zone.”
Municipality inspection is continuing in schools to ensure health safety among students. The municipality has also imposed a fee for water testing and charges Dh600 per sample.
The inspection committee during its regular visits ensures that water taps are in good condition and the water is pure.
She urged violating schools to immediately replace the tanks, pipes, dispensers and taps to avoid penalties. The education zone often instructs the schools to hire only tank-cleaning and maintenance companies approved by the municipality, she said.
“The Ministry of Education has warned schools against neglecting the hygiene of water tanks. Impure water leads to various diseases,” she said.
