The Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) announced on Tuesday that 19 bottled and mineral water brands have been deemed unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination.
Among the brands flagged for safety concerns, six – Hensley Pure Water, Pure Life, Natural Pure Life, Klear, Am Mughal Pure Water, and Nero – had high sodium. Furthermore, Nero was deemed unsafe due to exceeding the permissible limit of total dissolved solids (TDS).
Cleana, Orwell, and Still were identified as unsafe due to higher levels of arsenic beyond the permissible limit. Moreover, Starlay, Al-Faris Water, Nestlo Healthy Water, Nesspure, Pure Life, Natural Pure Life, Nesspak, Geo Max Premium, Cleana, Splash, Karakorum, Heavenly, and 7 Bro were found to be contaminated with bacteria, according to the PCRWR report.
The PCRWR has directed the federal government to conduct quarterly monitoring of bottled and mineral water brands and publish the results to raise public awareness.
Between January and March, a total of 185 samples from bottled water brands were collected across 21 cities. Analysis of these samples in comparison to the quality standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) revealed that 19 brands were found to be unsafe for human consumption due to microbiological or chemical contamination.
The PCRWR advised the public to read the detailed report to understand the water quality status of the bottled water brands they consume. It added that the comprehensive report is accessible on their website at www.pcrwr.gov.pk.
