The Pakistan Council for Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has flagged 28 brands of bottled water as unsafe for consumption due to chemical or microbiological contamination. The PCRWR collected 176 samples from 20 cities across Pakistan and tested them against the water quality standards set by the Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). The following brands were found to contain hazardous contaminants:
Brands with High Sodium Levels
These brands exceeded the safe sodium limits:
- Miran Drinking Water
- Pak Aqua
- Jel Bottled Water
- Neo
- Aab-e-Dubai
- Eltsen
- Pure Water
- Aqua Health
- Oslo
- More Plus
Brands with High Arsenic Levels
These brands contained unsafe arsenic levels, posing health risks:
- One Pure Drinking Water
- Indus
- Premium Safa Purified Water
- Orwell
- Natural Pure Life
- Hunza Utter Water (also found unsafe due to excessive potassium levels)
Brands Contaminated with Bacteria
These brands showed microbiological contamination:
- SS Water
- Sip Sip Premium Drinking Water
- Miran Drinking Water
- D-Nova
- Sky Rain
- Neo
- Pure Water
- Dream Pure
- Aqua Sharav Pure Drinking Water
- Marvi
- Ice Well
- Akb Sky
- Karakorum Spring Water
- More Plus
- Essentia
- Life Inn
Consumers are advised to avoid these brands due to the risks associated with their contamination.