PURIFIED drinking water is big business in Myanmar and experts within the industry have predicted the market is likely to expand even more in the future.
“The drinking water market is increasing year by year but it is difficult to give an exact figure,” said U Aung Thant Zin, director of PGS purified drinking water Company in Tarmwe township. The company has produced PGS purified water since 2004.

“Now in the Yangon area there are nearly 100 hundred brands of drinking water. Compared to two years ago, the market is increasing,” he said.
To survive in the market, U Aung Thant Zin said producers need to distribute pure water and advertise their trademark effectively.

Also important, in U Aung Thant Zin's opinion, was listening to customers and giving them exactly what they wanted. “For example, some customers want the water as soon as they call us. So we have to be able to give the best service to our customers,” he said.

But Dr Thein Myint, managing director of Oasis purified drinking water in Latha township, said he believed most people in Myanmar chose their brand of purified water based on the quality of their advertising campaign and not the water.

With the expansion of the purified water industry has come a price increase, which U Aung Thant Zin attributed to an increase in costs.

“Bottle prices increase every three months and it makes the drinking water prices increase as well,” U Aung Thant Zin said, adding that a 20 litre bottle cost K250 wholesale in late 2006 but the price has risen to K350.

“In the cost of a single bottle of water, the container's value accounts for 90pc of the price,” he said.

Even for companies which make their own water bottles, any increase in the cost of raw materials will be passed on to consumers.

And even though the price is steadily rising, demand never decreases.
“Our sales have increased this year compared to 2005,” said Ko Tin Moe Aung, manager of Imperial Jade purified drinking water in Kyauktada township.

To purify water, Dr Thein Myint said Oasis draws water via tube well at Hlaing Tharyar and puts it through an elaborate filtration process, which includes reverse osmosis. In reverse osmosis water is forced through a dense membrane which traps heavy elements and allows clean water to pass through.

Dr Thein Myint said his company followed the guidelines for water purification which were released by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Myanmar.
“We were the first company to use reverse osmosis in Myanmar,” said Dr Thein Myint, adding that Oasis first began using the system in 1993.

Ko Tin Moe Aung said his company used imported water purification machines. “We use the automatic control valve system (Ion-exchange filtration columns), reverse osmosis system machines, ultraviolet sterilisation system,” he said, adding that they also produce their water to FDA regulations.