ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has declared 29 bottled water brands unsafe after samples failed to meet prescribed quality standards in its latest quarterly monitoring report.
PCRWR tested 230 bottled-water samples from 20 major cities across Pakistan under a federal government-directed monitoring programme.
The council detected bacterial contamination in samples from 22 brands, making it the most common problem identified in the testing.
PCRWR also found excessive sodium levels in nine brands. The council said the prescribed sodium limit is 50 parts per million (ppm) and that some tested samples exceeded that threshold.
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Some brands also recorded total dissolved solids (TDS) above 500 ppm, while several products failed more than one quality parameter.
PCRWR conducts quarterly testing to assess bottled and mineral water sold in the market and identify products that do not meet prescribed standards.
The council advised consumers to check available quality-testing reports before buying bottled water and to avoid products that fail to meet the required standards.
