Water situation in Pakistan is quite alarming. While there is an undeniable shortage of water in some areas, getting clean water is another major challenge in other places. Owing to increasing health crisis in the country, many mineral water brands stepped in to make drinking water pure. Most of us are familiar with only a few brands of mineral water. In the past few years, several new names joined the list across Pakistan. While this may be true, the most recently done quarterly monitoring of bottled mineral water brands by state authorities revealed some shocking details. Let’s look into the details.
Quarterly Monitoring – PCRWR, Ministry of Science and Technology
Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) and Ministry of Science and Technology declared 20 mineral water brands unsafe for drinking as per the findings of most recent quarterly monitoring.
Owing to the clean water crisis, a large number of consumers have been forced to purchase bottled water. For those who need more clarity about water cleaning standards, water brands have to qualify certain tests to ensure the quality of drinking water. However, the recent report’s findings show that several companies are selling contaminated water to citizens.
Highlighted Issues
If we talk about the key factors highlighted in the monitoring, the sodium composition in the water of the nominated brands ranged between 58 to 85 mg/L. This range is higher than the quality standard limit for sodium i.e. 50 mg/L. The standard scale is set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
Brands to Avoid
Although the complete list of mineral water brands found to be selling contaminated water is not shared, there are a few brands in the list to avoid. The authorities identified Pure Nature dangerous due to high level of arsenic (23 g/L). This was also higher than the set declared limit of 10 g/L. Zindagi Plus and Aqua Safe are two other brands on the list found to be dangerous for drinking water. Their water was found to have high levels of Potassium (13-15 mg/L). The declared Potassium limit is 10 mg/L.
The names of other brands found to be selling microbiologically polluted bottled water include Safi, Abe-Muskan, Ice Well, Natural Water, Top Up, Aqua Str.
