A Chinese woman, Ms. Li, has suffered liver damage after drinking water from water Purifier. As per the reports the woman was unknowingly drinking waster water for five years due to pipe mix-up in her water purifier. Ms. Li reported experiencing irregular periods over the past six months and minimal liver damage, which was confirmed during a hospital visit a month ago, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
In September 2020, Ms. Li had a water purifier installed by Xiaomi, a leading consumer goods producer in China. It wasn't until recently, when she bought a "water quality pen" tester, that she discovered the problem. The tester revealed that the water coming from her purifier was worse than tap water.
The tester showed a TDS (total dissolved solids) level of 607 mg/L in the purifier’s water, more than twice the level of 24 mg/L that the manufacturer claims should be present. By comparison, the tap water in her region has a TDS of 321 mg/L. Alarmed, Ms. Li called a technician, who found that the pipes had been incorrectly connected by the original installer. As a result, the purified water was being discharged into the sewer, while the "concentrated water," a type of wastewater, was being consumed by Ms. Li over the past five years.
Purifier manufacturer has promised to refund Ms. Li the full price she paid for the device, but she rejected the settlement offer. She is currently seeking medical evidence to prove that the plumbing error caused her health issues.
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A Xiaomi employee named Zhang stated that the company would replace the filter element in the purifier. However, the employee who initially installed the machine five years ago has since left the company and is unreachable. The company is still deliberating how to address the situation.
"No wonder I've had diarrhea so often in recent years and had abnormal results in my check-ups. I never suspected the issue could be with the water source," Ms. Li said. She speculated that the wastewater, which contains various chemicals, might have harmed her health but noted, "I do not have evidence to prove the connection between the wastewater and my health issues."