29 bottled water brands found unsafe in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A quarterly quality assessment of bottled drinking water has found 29 out of 230 brands to be substandard and unsafe for consumption, raising concerns about the quality of commercially available drinking water in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) conducts quarterly monitoring of bottled and mineral water brands available in the market on the directions of the government.

For the latest assessment, samples of 230 bottled and mineral water brands were collected from 20 cities during the April-June 2026 quarter.

The samples were analysed in laboratories according to the standards recommended by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

Laboratory testing found that several water brands were contaminated with harmful bacteria, making them unsafe for human consumption. A total of 29 brands failed to meet the required quality standards.

The report found that nine brands had excessive levels of sodium. These included HR Water Healthy Life, A2Z Pure Bottled Drinking Water, Pure Drinking Water, Deep Blue Pure Drinking Water, Sup Nest Pure Drinking Water, Aab-e-Haram, Aqua Life Bottled Drinking Water, Drinklay and Alpha H2O Bottled Drinking Water.

The assessment also found excessive total dissolved solids (TDS) in four brands: A2Z Pure Bottled Drinking Water, Imperial Pure Drinking Water, Aab-e-Haram and Alpha H2O Bottled Drinking Water. The recommended safe limit for TDS is 500 parts per million (ppm).

According to the council, 22 brands were found to be contaminated with bacteria. These included My Sial Bottled Drinking Water, JERS Safe Life Bottled Drinking Water, Natural Pure Life, Natural Sup, Al Meer Bottled Drinking Water, Al-Saha Drinking Water, Al-Shifa Pure Life, Royal Fina Bottled Drinking Water, Aqua Nice Pure Life, Noor Aqua, Aqua Pure, Drink Well Pure Drinking Water, Imperial Pure Drinking Water, Zalmi, Deep Blue Pure Drinking Water, Aab-e-Haram, Vital Sup Bottled Drinking Water, Hunza Alter Water, Rehydrate8 Drink Pure Water, Moya Mineral Water, Tynant Aqua Bottled Drinking Water and Aqua Pura Smart.

The presence of harmful microorganisms means that the affected brands may pose health risks if consumed without proper treatment.

The findings have raised concerns about the monitoring and regulation of bottled water sold across the country. Regular testing is considered important to ensure that drinking water available to consumers meets safety and quality standards.

Representatives of some of the companies named in the report, however, rejected the findings. They claimed that their water brands meet the required quality standards.