The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has declared 27 bottled water brands unsafe for drinking, after its latest quarterly tests found chemical and bacterial contamination in samples of commercially available brands collected from 20 cities across the country.
The PCRWR unsafe bottled water brands were named in the council’s monitoring report for July to September 2026, which tested 223 brands against the quality standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA). Of the 223 brands tested, 195 met the safety requirements. The other 27 did not, and the council has advised people to check the list before buying bottled water.
What the PCRWR Tests Found
PCRWR tests bottled and mineral water every three months. Under government directions, its teams collect samples from shops in major cities and test them for chemical and microbiological safety, comparing the results with PSQCA standards.
For the July to September 2026 round, samples were collected from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Dera Ismail Khan, Mianwali, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit, Sukkur, Badin and Tando Jam. The testing covered chemical safety, such as sodium, potassium, arsenic and dissolved solids, as well as microbiological safety, such as bacteria in the water.
Six brands failed the chemical tests and 22 failed the microbiological tests. Some brands failed more than one test, which is why the two counts together come to more than the 27 brands on the unsafe list.
Six Brands Failed the Chemical Tests
Three brands contained too much sodium: Aab-e-Haram, AB-Blue Water and HR Water Healthy Life. Their sodium levels ranged from 94 to 164 parts per million (ppm), against a permitted limit of 50 ppm.
Aab-e-Haram also had total dissolved solids (TDS) of 680 ppm, above the permitted limit of 500 ppm. Fresh Smart Pure Water contained potassium at 20 ppm, twice the permitted limit of 10 ppm.
Two brands, Akwafine Bottled Drinking Water and Premium Safa Purified Water, contained arsenic at levels between 13.5 and 23.2 parts per billion (ppb), above the allowable limit of 10 ppb.
Bacteria Found in 22 Bottled Water Brands
The microbiological tests found bacterial contamination in 22 brands, which were declared unsafe for drinking. The brands are: 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 and Aqua Indus.
Aab-e-Haram appears on both the chemical and the bacterial lists, having failed the sodium and dissolved-solids limits as well as the bacterial test.
Bottled water is a daily purchase for millions of households in Pakistan, and many people buy it because they do not trust the tap water where they live. That is what makes this list matter: the brands named here were on shop shelves in cities across the country, and the contamination was found in the same bottles people take home.
How to Check Your Bottled Water Is Safe
PCRWR has advised consumers to consult its detailed quarterly report before buying or drinking bottled water. The full report, with the tested brands and their quality status, is published on the council’s official website, pcrwr.gov.pk.
Before buying, check the label for clear branding, a valid certification mark and proper sealing, and compare the brand name with the council’s latest list. If a brand you use appears on the unsafe list, stop using it and switch to a brand that passed the tests.
The council publishes these results every quarter, so the list changes as new samples are tested. Checking the latest report is the simplest way to know whether the water you are buying is safe.
The findings were published in PCRWR’s monitoring report for the third quarter of 2026, covering July to September.
Sources: Daily The Destination — PCRWR Declares 27 Bottled Water Brands Unsafe for Consumption; Around.pk — PCRWR Flags 27 Bottled Water Brands as Unsafe in Latest Quarterly Report.
Related Posts
Pakistan NewsPP-203 By-Election Result: PML-N’s Asad Hanif Wins by 17,602 Votes
Pakistan NewsMaryam Nawaz Removes Jhelum DC After Exam Postponed for Her Visit
Pakistan NewsPakistan Considers 12 Provinces: Referendum May Come Before Proposed 28th Amendment
Pakistan NewsPoliceman Martyred as Motorcycle Bomb Explodes in Shangla’s Chakesar Area
Pakistan NewsSupreme Court Acquits Two Brothers in Blasphemy Case After 20 Years on Death Row
Pakistan NewsMilitant Attacks in Pakistan Jump to 49 in a Week as Violence Surges Again, PICSS ReportsMost Popular
How-ToPTA Tax Calculator 2026: Check Mobile Tax on Any Phone419 views
Pakistan NewsPIA Boeing 787 Lease Deal: What It Means for the Airline392 views
Canada JobsTech Jobs in Canada: Roles, Salaries, and Skills Needed389 views
SportsUEFA Champions League 2026-27: Format, Teams and Schedule386 views
TechnologyPM Shehbaz Sets November Deadline for Alibaba AI and Digitalisation Projects in Pakistan367 views
ShowbizWomen’s Fashion in Pakistan 2026: Trends, Brands and Style Guide362 views
