KP report finds 40% bottled water unsafe for health

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Food Safety and Halal Food Authority released its first province-wide bottled water testing report, revealing that around 40% of the samples were unsafe and declared unfit for drinking.

According to data shared during a briefing to Provincial Food Minister Zahir Shah Toru, the recently opened Provincial Food Testing Laboratory analyzed 156 bottled water samples of different sizes. Out of these, 59.61% met the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) standards, while 40.39% failed. The report showed that 61 bottled water samples contained harmful microbial contamination, including Coliform, Fecal Coliform, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, two samples carried dangerous chemicals.

Authorities warned that these pollutants pose serious health risks to consumers. Testing also covered 56 water source samples, where 27 passed and 29 were declared unsafe. Officials said that during the period from August 23 to September 19, the province’s certified water plants produced around 419000 litres of water daily.

Out of this, over 117,000 litres were found substandard and unsafe for use. The Food Authority confirmed that action has been taken against companies producing unsafe water. Their faulty stocks have been recalled and destroyed, while manufacturing at rogue plants has been suspended until they clear fresh laboratory tests. The campaign will now move into its second stage, targeting water filtration plants and household sources. Heavy fines are being imposed on violators to ensure compliance.