A thriving industry

It wasn’t that long ago that bottled water was something you drank only by necessity when traveling in exotic parts of the world. But when you got back stateside, you simply turned on the tap. The very idea that people would pay for a drink that they had always gotten for free was considered laughable. But now, thanks to a variety of factors including a more active and mobile society, the convenience and ubiquity of bottled water, concerns about the health of tap water -- and yes, clever marketing -- the bottled water industry has boomed.

In 1976, yearly per capita consumption of bottled water in the U.S. was just 1.6 gallons compared to 2007, when each American drank on average 29 gallons of bottled water per year – more than any beverage other than carbonated soft drinks. Women and younger consumers drink more bottled water than men, with women more likely to drink the recommended eight glasses of water per day. ¹

Since 2000, spending on bottled water in the U.S. has more than doubled to almost 12 billion dollars per year in the U.S., which leads the world in sales, though the French company, Perrier, is generally viewed as the originator of the category in the 70’s. ²

Types of bottled water

Contrary to popular belief, not all bottled waters offer a solution to this kind of contamination. Many brands undergo no filtration during the bottling process and are essentially the same quality that comes from the tap. Responsible bottled water producers, however, tackle purity issues in a variety of ways. Some natural premium waters are bottled from sources in remote places where contamination is unlikely. For bottled water that originates in the municipal water supply--which accounts for 25% of bottled waters--a multi-barrier approach is often used for purification.

In addition to mineral and spring waters, as well as purified premium waters, several other categories have emerged as the industry has matured. So-called functional water -- which includes sports, flavored, near and enhanced waters – is another fast-growing category. ³

¹ International Bottled Water Association – 2008
² Beverage Marketing Corporation
³ IBISWorld, 2008