Bottled, But Not Safe: PCRWR Finds 28 Water Brands Unfit for Drinking
— February 6, 2025
ISLAMABAD (AIA) The Government of Pakistan has directed the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) to conduct quarterly monitoring of bottled and mineral water brands and publicise the results to raise public health awareness.
For the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December), PCRWR collected 176 samples of bottled and mineral water from 20 cities, according to a press release issued on Thursday.
A comparison of test results with the bottled water quality standards set by the Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) revealed that 28 brands were unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination.
Ten brands, including Miran Drinking Water, Pak Aqua, Jel Bottled Water, Neo, Aab-e-Dubai, Eltsen, Pure Water, Aqua Health, Oslo, and More Plus, were found to have higher sodium levels than the permissible limit. Five brands—One Pure Drinking Water, Indus, Premium Safa Purified Water, Orwell, and Natural Pure Life—were found to contain excessive arsenic, while Hunza Utter Water exceeded the safe potassium level.
Sixteen brands, including SS Water, Sip Sip Premium Drinking Water, Miran Drinking Water, D-Nova, Sky Rain, Neo, Pure Water, Dream Pure, Aqua Sharav Pure Drinking Water, Marvi, Ice Well, Akb Sky, Karakorum Spring Water, More Plus, Essentia, and Life Inn, were found to be contaminated with bacteria, making them unsafe for drinking.
The public is encouraged to review the detailed PCRWR report to check the safety of the bottled water brands they consume.