A quality check of bottled drinking water in Pakistan has raised concerns over the safety of several brands, with 29 products found to be below the required standards.
The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) examined 230 water samples gathered from markets in 20 cities under its routine monitoring exercise.
Laboratory testing detected harmful bacterial contamination in water sold by 22 brands. Tests also showed that nine brands contained sodium levels higher than the permissible limit.
Some samples were additionally found to contain excessive total dissolved solids, while multiple brands recorded more than one quality-related violation.
The findings have prompted the council to caution consumers about bottled water products that do not comply with national quality requirements.
PCRWR has advised consumers to verify the quality and testing status of bottled water before purchasing, particularly where products fail to meet the prescribed safety standards.
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