The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has declared 27 commercially available bottled and mineral water brands unsafe for human consumption after detecting microbiological and chemical contamination during the third quarter of 2026.
According to its quarterly monitoring report covering July to September, the council collected 223 samples of bottled water from 20 major cities across the country to assess compliance with quality standards prescribed by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
The monitoring exercise was conducted under government directives to evaluate the safety and quality of commercially available bottled drinking water.
The laboratory findings revealed that three brands — Aab-e-Haram, AB-Blue Water and HR Water Healthy Life — contained sodium levels ranging from 94 to 164 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the permissible limit of 50 ppm.
Aab-e-Haram was also found to contain total dissolved solids (TDS) at 680 ppm, above the prescribed limit of 500 ppm.
Similarly, Fresh Smart Pure Water recorded a potassium concentration of 20 ppm, twice the permissible limit of 10 ppm.
The report identified excessive arsenic levels in two brands, Akwafine Bottled Drinking Water and Premium Safa Purified Water, with concentrations ranging from 13.5 to 23.2 parts per billion (ppb), against the permissible limit of 10 ppb.In addition to chemical contamination, laboratory tests detected bacterial contamination in 22 bottled water brands, rendering them unsafe for drinking.
The affected brands included 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 found to be contaminated with bacteria 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.
The PCRWR advised consumers to consult its quarterly water quality monitoring report before purchasing or consuming bottled drinking water to make informed choices and protect their health.
The council said the complete report was available on its official website, www.pcrwr.gov.pk.
