Nestle, Aquafina, and Baraka are facing criticism after Egyptian health officials reported in May that they had produced bottled water that was not safe for human consumption. According to EgyptIndependent.com, the General Directorate of Food Control and the Central Administration for Environmental Affairs released a joint statement warning consumers that several batches of bottled water from these three companies did not meet Egyptian health standards.

High levels of algae and E.coli bacteria were among the chief concerns the official detected after testing sample batches. 

There are three main types of hazards or contaminants that can cause food and water to be unsafe for human consumption: biological, chemical, and physical. Biological contaminants include microorganisms and would be what something like E.coli would fall under; chemicals include cleaning solvents and pest control; and physical means hair, dirt, or other matter.

This isn’t the first time Egypt has faced struggles with their water supply. Professor Gamal Mosaed, an expert on groundwater with the Mineral Resources Authority, estimated that in 2012, 40% of mineral water in Egypt was unfit for human consumption because it was taken from wells containing toxins.

In another even more disturbing example, some factories were actually found to be filing up bottles with tap water and illegally slapping brand name labels on them. Authorities have worked to shut down these facilities, but when it comes to bottled water produced in Egypt, everything isn’t quite crystal clear just yet.