Ho Chi Minh City authorities have temporarily shut down 27 unhygienic bottled water companies since mid-February, the municipal Health Department said Tuesday.

The department said inspectors have confiscated and sealed 50,445 liters of tainted “sterilized water” from 11 companies.

The latest test results showed the Blue brand produced by Van Tai enterprise in District 6 and the Aquaran brand bottled by Lien Phu Phat Production and Commerce Company in District 8 contained harmful bacteria.

The operations of all firms bottling water containing the pseudomonas aeruginosa and coliform bacteria have been suspended.

Health experts had said earlier that these bacteria usually existed in waste water and could cause several dangerous inflammations as well as sepsis in humans.

The city People’s Committee has instructed relevant agencies to withdraw the licenses of water bottlers failing to meet safety and hygiene standards.

Unofficial statistics show there are more than 400 bottled water producers in HCMC.

Reported by Thanh Tung