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New smart system to track drinking water bottles in Dubai

Dubai - The system will allow consumers and inspectors to check the number of times the bottles were used via a mobile app.

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To track the water use, Dubai Municipality has launched a system for smart control and tracking of five gallon drinking water bottles.
Dawood Al Hajiri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, said that as of Sunday, April, 1, 2018, all 5-gallon drinking water bottling companies and factories that produce or sell in Dubai will have to implement the smart control system to track and control five gallon drinking water bottles.
"This system includes multiple features such as a unique laser code printing on each package as a "unique mark" that cannot be deleted or changed. A smart sticker will be placed on the lid of each bottle each time it is packaged in the production line. This label is equipped with digital technologies and secure features similar to those used to protect bank notes from forgery," he said.
When scanned, the sticker will show the record of the bottle and how much it was used.  The system will allow consumers and inspectors to check the number of times the bottles were used via a mobile app.

Dawood Al Hajiri, Director General of @DMunicipality:From Sun,all water bottling companies&factories that produce or sell in #Dubai will have to implement smart control system for 5-gallon bottles to ensure quality. Customers can track the record by Water SmarTrace APP. pic.twitter.com/q1MqEdmI4u
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 29, 2018

Officials previously set the number of maximum refilling at 33 as overused bottles can release carcinogenic substances in the water.
The public can download the App called, "Water SmarTrace" on smart phones run on Apple and Android operating systems.
With the App, the consumer will be able to scan the smart sticker on the water package and obtain the required confidence on the product and packaging that it meets the approved standards. In addition, some package-related data such as factory name, product brand, date and time of production will be displayed.
Al Hajiri stated that the App will be in the experimental phase from April 1, 2018 and the experience will be evaluated in coordination with the water bottling companies and the project executing company.
He added that the assessment will be done under the supervision of Dubai Municipality. The Municipality will deal with the challenges arising from the application transparently, taking into account the interests of consumers and companies and ensuring fair application.
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Khalid Sharif Al Awadhi, Assistant Director General for Environment, Health & Safety Control Sector, said the consumer can also report about any product using this App, which provides a feature to determine the cause of the problem from a checklist.
"Consumers can take a picture of the container with the subject of the communication and location of the message instantly. This enhances the consumer's role as an active partner in the control process," said Al Awadhi.
He added that the system will enable the collection of basic data of the product during its production process.
"These include, but are not limited to, the date of manufacture of the plastic container and the number of times the bottle has been refilled, as well as specific water quality standards."
Inspectors with specialised devices for use in product control along the production and distribution chain will give access to all the detailed information related to the package, thanks to smart technology over the Internet.
"This technology will facilitate and speed up current monitoring and inspection process," Al Awadhi added.
He said the implementation of the project was carried out with an international company in the field of providing smart solutions for tracking and authentication, which ensures that goods and services conform to the approved standards.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com