An inspection of 24 hot spring facilities across the nation by the Consumer Protection Committee showed that 75 percent could not meet all five safety and water quality standards.
The inspection was conducted in October and November last year at 24 hot spring facilities in Taipei, New Taipei City and Taichung, and Yilan, Miaoli and Taitung counties, the committee said yesterday.
Among the 24, 18 (75 percent) failed in at least one of the five mandatory safety standards: four failed in facility safety management; 10 failed in gift certificates and standard contract requirements; six failed in hygiene management; five failed in building safety; and four failed in fire safety.
Consumer ombudswoman Chang Ying-mei (張英美) said although setting an emergency button near the pool or tub is not required in all cities and counties, and was not part of the five safety standards, the committee found that several facilities did not even have a telephone or signaling device nearby.
The committee said it had asked the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to supervise the facilities in setting up emergency buttons, warning signs and indoor ventilation.
The committee also collected 94 samples from different pools or tubs in the 24 facilities to check whether the water can be considered spring water.
Consumer ombudsman Wang Te-ming (王德明) said that to qualify, the water must have a total dissolved solids reading of 500mg per liter or more, a bicarbonate ion level of 250mg per liter or more and total sulfides of more than 0.05mg per liter and 0.1mg per liter or more at the water outlet.
“We found five facilities that failed to meet these standards, so they are not hot springs, but surface water,” Wang said.
He said another facility mislabeled the hot spring water in its hotel rooms as “white sulfur spring,” when tests showed that it was “green sulfur spring,” water, which has a higher pH level and can cause pain for people who have open wounds.
Wang said among the 24 facilities, Dragon Valley Hotel and Paradise (龍谷觀光溫泉飯店) and Sun Hot Spring and Resort (台中日光會館) in Taichung, and the Great Roots Forestry Spa Resort (大板根森林溫泉渡假村) failed both safety and water quality inspections.
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