These 17 Mineral Water Brands Have Been Declared Unsafe for Drinking

The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has declared 17 bottled water brands unsuitable for human consumption owing to microbiological, chemical, or both forms of contamination.

The above was revealed in the council’s quarterly bottled water quality monitoring report for the fiscal year 2022-23, which was released on Wednesday.

165 specimens of mineral/bottled water products were gathered from 20 cities during the quarter from July to September.

A comparative study of the test findings with the Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) bottled water quality standards indicated that 17 brands were dangerous for human consumption, the News has reported.

Eight brands were found to be harmful because of elevated sodium levels; six brands were determined to be microbiologically compromised and therefore unsafe for drinking; one brand matched both of the aforementioned standards of harmfulness; while two brands were deemed dangerous owing to higher-than-allowable quantities of potassium. 

Number of Unsafe Brands	Reason for Contamination	Brand Names
9	Elevated Sodium Levels	Andani Premium Drinking Water, Indus, Barsay, Best Natural, Faris, Nest Pure Live, Volvo,  Eltsen, Dhoom
2	Elevated Potassium Levels	Pure Handsome Water, Aqua One
7	Microbiological Contamination	Nayab Pure Life, Indus, ECO, NEO, Blue Plus, Aqua Bello, Freshino

The general audience is invited to read the complete report to learn about the state of the water quality of the bottled water products they use.

The complete report is accessible at Quarterly Report Bottled Water Quality (July-September, 2022). The government has tasked PCRWR with quarterly monitoring of bottled/mineral water brands and publishing the results to raise public health awareness.