Punjab Food Authority (PFA) has shut down eight bottled water brands plants after they were found to be contaminated with dangerous levels of chemicals and bacteria unfit for human health.

The crackdown comes in the wake of water sample tests conducted by the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), which exposed the widespread sale of unsafe bottled drinking water under the guise of purity.

The findings paint a grim picture: bottled water, often perceived as a safe alternative in a country plagued by water contamination, has itself become a health hazard.

Test results compared against the Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) benchmarks revealed alarming levels of arsenic, microbiological and chemical contaminants, making these brands unfit for human consumption.

The PFA has sealed SS Water and Pak Acqua RO Mineral Water in Sahiwal, Premium Safa Purified Water, Orwell, Natural Pure Life, and Life Inn Water Plant in Multan, Sky Rain in Faisalabad, and Iced Well in Sialkot.

PFA Director General Asim Javed said: “These plants will remain closed until they meet stringent corrective measures including verified improvements in water quality, mandatory medical tests for workers, and documented filter replacements.”

“We will not tolerate the production of substandard bottled water,” Asim Javed stated, vowing to deploy all resources to safeguard public health. But for many Pakistanis, the damage has already been done.

According to the PCRWR report, some of the contaminated brands contained dangerously high levels of sodium, arsenic, and potassium, while others were infested with harmful bacteria.

The potential health consequences are dire—ranging from gastrointestinal infections such as cholera to kidney disease, high blood pressure, nervous system disorders, and even cancer.

The Federal government, through the Ministry of Science and Technology, has tasked PCRWR with quarterly monitoring of bottled water brands to rein in this crisis.

In its latest review, the agency collected 176 samples from 20 cities nationwide. The results were subsequently forwarded to PSQCA and provincial chief secretaries for legal action. Under existing regulations, companies that fail to meet safety standards receive three warnings before their licenses are revoked and their facilities are sealed.