PCRWR flags 27 bottled water brands as unsafe after quarterly testing

The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources has declared 27 commercially available bottled and mineral water brands unsafe for human consumption after its latest quarterly monitoring exercise found microbiological and chemical contamination. The findings cover the third quarter of 2026, from July to September.

The council collected 223 bottled-water samples from 20 major cities and assessed them against quality standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority. The monitoring was carried out under government directions to assess the safety and quality of bottled drinking water available to consumers.

Laboratory results found that Aab-e-Haram, AB-Blue Water and HR Water Healthy Life had sodium concentrations ranging from 94 to 164 parts per million. The permissible limit for sodium is 50 parts per million. Aab-e-Haram was also found to have total dissolved solids of 680 parts per million, above the prescribed limit of 500 parts per million.

Fresh Smart Pure Water was reported to have potassium at 20 parts per million, compared with the permissible limit of 10 parts per million. The monitoring report also identified arsenic levels above the permitted limit in Akwafine Bottled Drinking Water and Premium Safa Purified Water, with reported concentrations ranging from 13.5 to 23.2 parts per billion against a limit of 10 parts per billion.

The report said bacterial contamination was detected in 22 brands. The brands listed include Aab-e-Haram, Douro, Aab-e-Makuran, Water Verse Purified, Jel Bottled Drinking Water, Sip Bottled Drinking Water, Safi Bottled Drinking Water, Pure Aqua Tech Bottled Drinking Water, Aqua Grain Bottled Drinking Water, Water Time Bottled Drinking Water and Al Saha Drinking Water.

Other brands listed for bacterial contamination were Aab-e-Hayat, K&S Aqua Sea, JERS Safe Life, Athar Premium, Aqua Dor, HHG Sweets and Bakers, Drinkly, One Flow Bottled Drinking Water, Zalmi Pure Mineral Water, New A2Z Bottled Water and Aqua Indus. A brand can appear in more than one contamination category, so the numbers for individual categories should not be added together.

The findings concern the samples tested in the July-to-September quarter and do not automatically establish the current quality of every unit sold under a listed brand. The council advised consumers to consult its detailed quarterly report before purchasing or using bottled water. It said the full report is available through its official website.

The results place responsibility on relevant regulators and producers to review quality controls, testing, treatment, storage and distribution. Consumers should use the official report for the specific brands and sample period rather than relying only on social-media lists or unverified claims.