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Volume 4, Issue 19 © Metropress February 17, 1982 Even laws are unclear
~Bottled I
water purity questioned
attractive four-color labels depicting a mountain lake surrounded ·© 1982 by Michael Snyder and by snow-covered peaks. The comRon DiRito Photographs by Michael Snyder and pany claims the water is 100 perRon DiRito cent pure, pollution-free and suitable for many things inOccasionally one of the workers cluding infant formulas. ;. in the dim, littered building picks But far removed from the exup a plastic jug that's crushed, blows it up by mouth and puts it hilarating freshness of mountain on a conveyor belt. Touched by lakes, H and A's bottling plant is lips and fingers, tainted by both dirty and dismal. As recently . bacteria and exposed to con- as Feb. 24, 1981, the company .._ taminants, the jugs are labeled, was found in violation of filled, capped, boxed, stacked municipal health codes in 10 different areas, the most serious of and delivered. which have gone uncorrected. It's King Sooper's generic arteAlthough H and A was ordered by sian and distilled water, and some -.. people are beginni~g to question the Denver Department of Health and Hospitals to "repair exterior its suitability for everyday use. In addition to the generic wall openings rodentproof con- In the dim and dingy H and A plant a shirtless worker helps water, H and A Sales, 4120 dition," a year later, on Feb. 8 ' cleanse bottles . • "Provide flytight screening Globeville Rd., also produces 1982, employees reported finding Noblit, insists that improvements windows." The screens have for have been made. However, he water under the Ev'r Clear and a dead rodent on top of a five refused to allow a television not been installed. gallon dispenser. ! "' Royal Gorge labels. · • "Provide adequate ventilacameraman to photograph the H and A co-owner, John The Royal Gorge bottles boast building on Feb. 11, 1982 saying tion for the bottling room." that "people wouldn't understand Federal codes require that "adewhat they saw" because the quate ventilation shall be provided to minimize condensation in building was being repaired. Noblit invited Channel 4 processing rooms, bottling rooms, reporter, Richard Riggs, to return and in container washing and in four days to film the completed sanitizing areas." But, as recently as Feb. 1982, inadequate ventilaimprovements. tion allowed huge amounts of The company was instructed to "repair walls and ceiling in bottl- moisture to condense on the ceiling· room to sound and easily ing and eventually fall directly cleanable condition," however, over the processing areas. Other problems not mentioned repairs were never made. Large holes in the ceiling allow dust and in inspection reports by either other matter to drop directly onto state or city and county officials involve a federal code that the bottle capping machine. The company was also ordered regulates good manufacturing practices: "Filling, capping, closto: • "Provide door and complete ing, sealing, and packaging of canvas on wall openings for bottl- containers shall be done in a ing room." According to federal sanitary manner so as to preclude codes, "The bottling room shall contamination of the bottled be separated from other plant drinking water." Yet at H and A when the plastic 'operations or storage areas by tight walls, ·ceilings, and self- tubing that connects water tanks closing doors to protect against to the filling machine is not in contamination." The work was use, it is allowed to lie unnever done and the room remains protected on the wet, dirty floor. open to other plant operations. It The company has a high turnover also remains open to insects and of workers and often relies on Hand A employee demonstrates a common inflating process: continued on page 8 mouth-to-bottle . rodents. by Michael Snyder
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