ISLAMABAD — A lot of Pakistanis consume bottled water due to its sealed bottles but a fresh PCRWR assessment raised serious questions about that trust. After testing 230 samples from 20 major cities, the council flagged 29 brands over bacterial contamination and excessive sodium or TDS levels.
In its latest report, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) declared 29 bottled and mineral water brands unsafe for human consumption for violating prescribed standards. The findings reveal multiple safety violations, with bacterial contamination emerging as the biggest concern.
| # | Brand | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mai Sial Bottled Drinking Water | Bacterial contamination |
| 2 | JERS Safe Life | Bacterial contamination |
| 3 | Natural Pure Life | Bacterial contamination |
| 4 | Natural Sip | Bacterial contamination |
| 5 | Al Meer | Bacterial contamination |
| 6 | Al Saha | Bacterial contamination |
| 7 | Al Shifa | Bacterial contamination |
| 8 | Royal Fina | Bacterial contamination |
| 9 | Aqua Nice Pure Life | Bacterial contamination |
| 10 | Noor Aqua | Bacterial contamination |
| 11 | Aqua Pure | Bacterial contamination |
| 12 | Drinkwell Pure Drinking Water | Bacterial contamination |
| 13 | Imperial Pure Drinking Water | Bacterial contamination
TDS above 500 ppm |
| 14 | Zalmi | Bacterial contamination |
| 15 | Deep Blue | Bacterial contamination |
| 16 | Aab-e-Haram | Bacterial contamination
sodium above 50 ppm TDS above 500 ppm |
| 17 | Vital Sip | Bacterial contamination |
| 18 | Hunza Ulter Water | Bacterial contamination |
| 19 | Rehydr8 Drink Pure Water | Bacterial contamination |
| 20 | Moya Mineral Water | Bacterial contamination |
| 21 | Tynant Aqua | Bacterial contamination |
| 22 | Aqua Pura Smart | Bacterial contamination |
| 23 | HR Water Healthy Life | Sodium above 50 ppm |
| 24 | A2Z Pure Bottled Drinking Water | Sodium above 50 ppm
TDS above 500 ppm |
| 25 | Pure Drinking Water | Sodium above 50 ppm |
| 26 | Deep Blue Pure Drinking Water | Sodium above 50 ppm |
| 27 | Sip Nest Purified Drinking Water | Sodium above 50 ppm |
| 28 | Aqua Life Bottled Drinking Water | Sodium above 50 ppm |
| 29 | Water Drinkly | Sodium above 50 ppm |
| 30 | Alpha H2O Bottled Drinking Water | Sodium above 50 ppm
TDS above 500 ppm |
PCRWR detected bacteria in 22 brands, rendering them unsafe for drinking. The affected products are Mai Sial Bottled Drinking Water, JERS Safe Life, Natural Pure Life, Natural Sip, Al Meer, Al Saha, Al Shifa, Royal Fina, Aqua Nice Pure Life, Noor Aqua, Aqua Pure, Drinkwell Pure Drinking Water, Imperial Pure Drinking Water, Zalmi, Deep Blue, Aab-e-Haram, Vital Sip, Hunza Ulter Water, Rehydr8 Drink Pure Water, Moya Mineral Water, Tynant Aqua and Aqua Pura Smart.
But bacterial contamination was not the only red flag. PCRWR found nine brands carrying sodium levels above the permissible limit of 50 parts per million (ppm). The brands identified were HR Water Healthy Life, A2Z Pure Bottled Drinking Water, Pure Drinking Water, Deep Blue Pure Drinking Water, Sip Nest Purified Drinking Water, Aab-e-Haram, Aqua Life Bottled Drinking Water, Water Drinkly and Alpha H2O Bottled Drinking Water.
The overlapping violations make findings particularly important . Aab-e-Haram, for instance, appears among the brands flagged for bacterial contamination as well as excessive sodium and TDS. A2Z Pure Bottled Drinking Water was also cited for excessive sodium and TDS, while Imperial Pure Drinking Water was flagged for bacterial contamination and elevated TDS.
These testing are part of federal government-directed quarterly monitoring programme aimed at keeping track of commercially available bottled and mineral water and informing the public about potential health risks.
The council has urged consumers to check water-quality reports before purchasing bottled water, stressing the importance of making informed choices about products sold for everyday drinking.
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