The National Center for the Quality of Medicine, Food, Water and Chemicals at the Lebanese University released the results of analyzing water samples taken from a number of households in the central and western Beqaa.

The analysis showed that bacterial contamination affected surface and ground water and the distribution networks, and therefore the drinking water that reached households in those areas is not suitable for drinking.

According to the Center, the results of the bacteriological analysis of drinking and usage water showed that a well near Chamsine Spring fed the town of Bar Elias, and that the bacteria therein exceeded the maximum permissible limit for drinking water due to its contamination with wastewater.

The analysis of samples of Ain ez Zarqa Spring in Sohmor, which fed some of the western Beqaa and Rachaiya towns, showed the presence of bacterial contamination attributed to the problem of distribution networks due to the exit of clean, potable water from the treatment plant and its contamination before reaching the subscribers.

The Center, managed by Dr. Nazih Bou Chahine, signed in 2017 an agreement with the Ministry of Public Health, and became a national reference for the quality standard in analysis with the efforts of a team composed of a number of doctors and technologists, including Dr. Mohamed Qoubar (Head of the Department Bacteriological Analysis), Dr. Fatina Suleiman (Coordinator of Food Committee), Dr. Nabil Amasha (Representative of the Center with the Litani Authority), Inaam Nasrallah (Quality Officer at the Center), Fatima Zaiour (Technical Officer) and Mariam Zeina (Technical Technician).

The administrative team also consisted of Dr. Fadia Ghazzawi, Engineer Imad Malaeb, Ghazal Basbous and Abdel Raouf Farhat.

It is noteworthy that the center obtained ISO 9001/2015 certificate with a distinguished mention by an external audit committee that proved the accuracy of the quality system in the bacteriological analysis laboratory for examining food and water samples to detect microbiological contaminants, thus achieving the utmost quality assurance of test results and ensuring high performance.