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The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has taken decisive action by shutting down eight bottled water plants after tests revealed alarming levels of chemical and bacterial contamination, rendering their products unfit for consumption.
This crackdown was prompted by a report from the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), which highlighted that several bottled water brands, marketed as “pure,” posed significant health risks.
Comparisons with Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) benchmarks revealed dangerously high concentrations of arsenic, sodium, potassium, and microbiological contaminants in multiple brands.
The affected plants include SS Water and Pak Acqua RO Mineral Water in Sahiwal; Premium Safa Purified Water, Orwell, Natural Pure Life, and Life Inn Water Plant in Multan; Sky Rain in Faisalabad; and Iced Well in Sialkot.
PFA Director General Asim Javed emphasized that these plants will remain closed until they implement stringent corrective measures, such as enhancing water quality, conducting worker medical tests, and ensuring documented filter replacements. “We are committed to safeguarding public health and will not allow the production of substandard bottled water,” Javed asserted.
The PCRWR report further disclosed that some of these brands contained hazardous chemical levels, including arsenic and sodium, while others harbored harmful bacteria. These contaminants pose severe health risks, ranging from gastrointestinal infections, such as cholera, to chronic conditions like kidney disease, hypertension, and even cancer.
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The Federal government has assigned PCRWR to conduct quarterly monitoring of bottled water brands under the Ministry of Science and Technology. In its latest assessment, 176 water samples were collected from 20 cities and forwarded to PSQCA and provincial authorities for enforcement action.
