Egypt's Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) warned on Wednesday that there are seven brands of bottled water currently available to consumers that are not licensed, reported Al-Ahram's Arabic news website.

The government watchdog said that the brands are unfit for consumption since the wells from which they are sourced are unverified.

Head of the CPA Atef Yacoub said that the body had uncovered seven brands being sold without licences: Safa, El-Waha, Ganna, Sahari, Life, El-Wadi, and Zamzam.

The rise in unlicensed production of bottled water is a result of a shortage that had hit the Egyptian market in recent months.

Nestle and PepsiCo, which together hold 71 percent of the bottled water market according to the Egyptian Competition Authority, cut production, forcing consumers to turn to other brands.