PCRWR Flags 27 Unsafe Water Brands After Lab Tests

PCRWR Declares 27 Bottled Water Brands Unsafe After Laboratory Tests

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has declared 27 bottled and mineral water brands unsafe for human consumption after laboratory testing revealed bacterial contamination and excessive concentrations of harmful substances.

According to PCRWR's quarterly monitoring report for July to September 2026, the council collected 223 bottled water samples from 20 major cities to evaluate their compliance with standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

The laboratory findings identified bacterial contamination in 22 brands, while several other products contained sodium, arsenic, potassium or total dissolved solids (TDS) above permissible limits.

Three brands — Aab-e-Haram, AB-Blue Water and HR Water Healthy Life — were found to contain sodium concentrations between 94 and 164 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the permitted limit of 50 ppm.

Aab-e-Haram also recorded TDS levels of 680 ppm, compared with the maximum allowable limit of 500 ppm. Meanwhile, Fresh Smart Pure Water contained 20 ppm of potassium, twice the permitted concentration of 10 ppm.

Two additional brands, Akwafine Bottled Drinking Water and Premium Safa Purified Water, were found to contain arsenic concentrations ranging from 13.5 to 23.2 parts per billion (ppb), exceeding the permissible limit of 10 ppb.

22 Brands Found Bacterially Contaminated

The 22 bottled water brands identified with bacterial contamination 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

Al Saha Drinking Water

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

Aqua Indus

PCRWR Advises Consumers to Check Reports

Following the findings, PCRWR advised consumers to consult its quarterly monitoring reports before purchasing bottled water to avoid products that do not meet established safety standards.