The Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) has declared 27 bottled and mineral water brands unsafe for human consumption after its third-quarter monitoring for July to September 2026 found microbiological and chemical contamination.

The council collected 223 samples from 20 cities across the country and tested them against the bottled water quality standards set by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority. Of the brands tested, 195 met the safety requirements, while 27 were classified as unsafe.

Chemical testing flagged six brands as unsafe, while microbiological testing found 22 brands contaminated with bacteria. Because a brand can fail more than one test, the two figures together account for the 27 brands on the unsafe list. The samples were collected in cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad, Quetta, Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Sukkur.

Among the brands named in the report are Aab-e-Haram, Douro, Aab-e-Makuran, Water Verse Purified, Jel Bottled Drinking Water and Sip Bottled Drinking Water. PCRWR has advised consumers to check its detailed quarterly report before buying bottled water. The full report is published on the council's official website, pcrwr.gov.pk. The council carries out the monitoring every quarter under government directions, and says the checks are meant to help regulators and consumers identify substandard products before they reach households.