Background: In the recent time, there has been proliferation of bottled water in Niger State due to inaccessibility of quality drinking water from other sources. This prevalence has led to the emergence of more entrepreneurs in bottled water production. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the labeling information, physicochemical, and heavy metals composition of bottled water packaged in different regions of Niger State, Nigeria with a view to ascertain their level of compliance with international and national recommended standards for drinking water. Methods: Ten (10) different brands of bottled water were procured from different regions of Niger State for this study. The labeling information, temperature, pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total hardness, chloride, alkalinity, lead, copper, manganese and iron contents of the water samples were determined using standard methods. Results: The investigation revealed temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total hardness, chloride and alkalinity of the water samples to range between (26.5+0.50–28.0+0.00 oC), (6.20+0.09–7.33+0.30), (13.5+1.50– 317.5+1.50 µScm-1,) (13-125 mg/L), (2.89 - 31.36 mg/L) and (5-60 mg/L), respectively. Lead and copper were not detected in all the samples except SB10 with 0.01 mg/L of copper. Similarly, manganese was detected in six samples at concentration between (0.02-0.08 mg/L) while iron ranged between (0.01-0.16 mg/L). Conclusion and recommendation: The physical, chemical and heavy metals composition of the water samples complied with World Health Organization (WHO) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) except the PH of few samples that was below the permissible limit. In addition, 60% of the brands had no manufacturing and expiry dates on their label as required by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Therefore, periodic evaluation and monitoring by concerned agencies should be carried out to ensure that bottled water producers in the state strictly adhere to the standard operating procedure.

Keywords: Physical examination, physicochemical, heavy Metals, bottle water, recommended standards.