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WATER STORIES, NEWS & FACTS

2007

Is water the new wine?

Forget eight glasses a day. Have you had your 28 gallons a year?

This is not about basic hydration. This is how much bottled water - the stuff that costs more per gallon than the high-octane stuff you complain about at the pump - the typical American consumed last year.

And yet, even with all the recent attention to the sourcing and ecological impact of this ubiquitous beverage, most Americans know little about the $11 billion worth of water they drink a year, never mind how or why to evaluate it.

But they should, say experts who compare bottled water to wine.

"We usually think it's all the same, but it isn't because of trace elements, minerals, packaging," says Arthur von Wiesenberger, a consultant who may be to water what Robert Parker is to wine.

"Water is an amazing thing," he says. "It will reach out and touch something."

And the something that it touches will give it a distinct taste and even "mouthfeel," in the parlance of water tasters.

Potassium, for example, may give water a sweet taste. Silica may impart silkiness. Calcium can give the water a lactic taste some people find refreshing. Others enjoy the cleansing quality of water with a high sodium content.

"Bottled water is the next wine," says bottled water expert Michael Mascha, founder of finewaters.com, a site dedicated to cataloging and evaluating bottled waters from around the world.

"People are starting to pay attention to where water is coming from. Bottled water is making the transition from a commodity product" to one where locale matters, as with wine, he says.

Long a staple of European tables, bottled water was popular in the U.S. during the early 20th century, but vanished during the Great Depression. It resurfaced during the 1970s, photographed in the hands of glitterati.

During the past five years, consumption surged 59 percent, making it America's favorite beverage after soda. In 2006, Americans quaffed 8.3 billion gallons of bottled water.

In the United States, consumers can now pick from about 350 varieties of bottled water, ranging from purified tap water (such as Coca-Cola Co.'s Dasani and Pepsi's Aquafina), to waters bottled from particular sources.

Sourced waters can come from springs (such as the sparkling San Pellegrino or the still Evian), underground reservoirs called aquifers (such as Fiji and Voss), or even from glaciers or harvested rainfall.

And each source, say connoisseurs, has its own fingerprint. In Philadelphia, Water Works Restaurant and Lounge, which opened last year, stocks nearly two dozen waters from around the world and caters to a regular crowd of newly minted connoisseurs willing to pay up to $55 a bottle.

"We have several regular customers who come in and have to have their water and it's chilled to a different degree," says the restaurant's Vera Masi.

By Michele Kayal, Associated Press

December 2007                                                                                                                                                                                                         Back To The Top

Bottled Water Bars

Colette, a very hip and handsome store on the fashionable Rue St. Honore in Paris has the largest and most successful water bar yet created. A long sleek wooden bar with overtones of a sushi bar design is where over 90 different brands are sipped, swirled and swallowed. Staff are outfitted in black tee shirts emblazoned with "eau-yeah" across the chest.

To the left of the bar is a display of some of the brands with a predominance towards Evian who have created a private label featuring artistic label enhancements unique for Colette. Norway's Voss (the water bar's current best seller) and unusual brands like Himalaya capture the imagination.

For the past four years, the water bar has been the watering hole of the curious as well as the connoisseur. The water bar also has a food menu that has many health conscious selections. Although there are other beverages available, bottled water sales represent 80% of all beverages. In a country where wine is de rigueur with a meal, the water bar is making waves.

Victoire de Taillac of Colette said that the water bar was launched, in part because of the "evolution of bottled water packages which began in 1985 with Ty Nant". The water bar's stable of brands have expanded from 30 in 1997 because the owners keep searching out new and interesting brands and because bottlers have been searching out Colette.

Ms. de Taillac's personal favorite is St. Georges from Corsica in a bottled designed by Philippe Starck. We tried it in one of the water bar's fine blue crystal glasses and found it light, elegant and a particularly fine non-carbonated water similar to Volvic.

Rome's Termini railroad station has a new watering hole and one with international waters called the Aqua Store. According to Aqua Store's Shelia Armon, Aqua Store is "the biggest store in Italy about specialization and commercialization (of) mineral water."

According to Michael Libotte who visited Aqua Store last week, "Aqua is nice, modern with lots of light. The store windows feature bottles of different famous mineral water brands." There are also panels with the description of well known Italian brands such as Roccetta. On the panel is information about the source, the percentage of Co2 and more technical data. Aside from Italian mineral waters there are also waters from other countries such as Glen Eagles (Scotland), Appolinaris (Germany) and Perrier (France).

According to Aqua's manager they plan to open another store soon. Aside from selling water, the Aqua Store also gives advice to customers as to which mineral waters are healthy. They estimate that 1500 customers visit the Aqua Store daily.

Source: Arthur Von Weisenberger,  Bottled Water Web.com

November 2007                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Back To The Top

                                                                                              Shelf Life of Bottled Water

Q: How long is a bottle of water good if it remains sealed?      

A: In the United States bottled water's shelf life is date stamped for two years. It should be stored in a dark, cool, dry area away from any solvents or chemicals. I have tasted a bottle of Mountain Valley that was bottled several decades ago and the seal (in this case a metal cap) was still intact. The water was excellent, and except for some mineral crystals at the bottom on the glass, was identical to a fresh bottle of Mountain Valley.

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) further adds:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the quality and safety of bottled water, has neither set nor suggested any limitation to the shelf life of bottled water.You may notice that most bottled water containers sold at retail bear a two-year expiration date. This acts as a lot number and is for stock rotation purposes. It does not mean the product is substandard after that date. Thus, bottled water purchased in bulk is good indefinitely if stored appropriately. Appropriately means unopened in a cool, dry place away from odors and toxic substances.For those yearning for a more technical explanation, it is thus: Bottled water is considered to be of virtually no significant nutritional value. Therefore, unlike milk, fish or poultry, bottled water is not an adequate substrate for pathogens responsible for the majority of food-borne illnesses. In that regard, IBWA's general position is that as long as bottled water is packaged in accordance with FDA processing and good manufacturing practices, 21 CFR, Part 129, and meets the FDA quality standard provisions as outlined in 21 CFR, Part 165, the product's shelf life should remain intact for an indefinite period provided that product storage and other post-packaging and handling practices do not adulterate or deleteriously affect the finished product. Whew!

By the way, the size of the container is irrelevant. Bottled water is a federally regulated pure food product packaged and distributed in individually coded discrete sanitary containers. It adheres to a strict regimen of testing and analysis. IBWA members must also adhere to standards tougher than the FDA requirements and must also submit to annual surprise inspections by an independent third party inspection organization (National Sanitation Foundation/NSF International).  Source: Bottled Water Web.com

October   2007                                                                                                                                                                                Back To The Top

Luxury Bottled Water

Sure, some consumers are willing to spend top dollar for the heavy weight vodkas, exclusive champagnes and vintage wines—but bottled water?

Well, if there were any doubts that luxury-bottled water would have success it now should be erased. In a society that thrives on social status defined by brand associations the launch of a luxury bottled water would be a “no-brainer” next step for the beverage industry. At least that’s the vision of Hollywood producer and writer Kevin Boyd, creator of Bling H2O.

“There are luxury beverages out there,” explains Boyd, “but there really was no luxury bottled water. Not super luxury, not uber-luxury.”

Bling H20, the uber-luxury bottled water that retails for $40 (350ml) and $75 (750ml) at its Beverly Hills store, is packaged in long-necked, frosted glass bottles sealed with a cork in limited-edition colors adorned with hand-applied Swarovski crystals.

Introduced into the market last year under Bling Beverages LLC, Bling H20 is now available at on-premise locations around the world, with about 80 percent of business being done in European markets, says Boyd. Some US locations that carry the pricey water include the Delano hotel in South Beach, Miami and the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills. Co-branded bottles are being served up along side luxury spirits in Las Vegas’ Tao nightclub and restaurant ($95) in the Venetian Hotel and at the Mirage ($80).

“There is no difference between a $300 bottle of vodka and a $50 bottle of water,” says Boyd. “The perceived value is the same. Only this is an affordable luxury. You may not be able to afford a Bentley, but everybody can essentially afford to splurge on a $50 bottle of water.”

The water was also recently added to Glow’s roster of beverages. Located in LA, Glow was rated by Playboy magazine as one of the Top 5 lounges in the country. It adapted Bling H2O’s Martini Menu—martinis made strictly from water. Boyd explains that martinis are flavored right at the table. The same way in which bottle service operates at a nightclub where mixers are served with a bottle of vodka, flavoring condiments would accompany the bottled of water. Some examples are lemonheads with a lemon twist, cinnamon sticks, crushed cucumber, celery and the list goes on and on.

“Literally the combinations are endless in terms of how you can flavor your water right there at the table,” says Boyd. And for those who aren’t interested in drinking, a martini menu is a great alternative, he adds “because [nightclubs and lounges] still get their table numbers.”

It was the idea of finding an alternative to alcohol consumption in a social setting that led Diane Felicissimo to open Westchester County’s first water bar, Via Genova, in Chappaqua, NY (home of former president Bill Clinton and his wife, New York senator
Hillary Clinton.) Via Genova also has a second location—a poolside café at the exclusive Saw Mill Club in Mt. Kisco, NY.

Felicissimo, a previous adult drug and alcohol counselor continuously saw and heard that alcohol consumption was related to many of the activities her clients were involved in.

“It’s very difficult to maintain sobriety,” says Felicissimo. “I was seeing that people had nowhere to go that just had water or something they could drink and enjoy with the family.”

So, Via Genova was born—a water café with more than 80 different types of water ranging in price from around the world with water from South Africa, Italy, Brazil, Norway, Germany, France, Canada, Japan and Austria. In terms of beveraages, the café also carries Steaz Green Tea Sodas and Voss' G Pure Energy in addition to French-pressed coffees brewed with a customer's choice of water.

The idea, at first, was difficult for consumers to grasp, relays Felicissimo, but she explains that water consumption replacing spirit consumption is “a lifestyle change, just like recovery.” And with the health and wellness sector of the beverage industry booming, there’s no time like the present to get into the water business, especially when it’s positioned as a high-end alternative to spirits. Bottled water also makes for a great gift basket whether its for a birthday or holiday, adds Felicissimo.

Among some of the more notable brands that appear on Via Genova’a menu are one of Felicissimo’s favorites, Fine’ ($14) from Japan; one of Oprah’s favorites 1 Litre ($7.50) from Canada; Speyside Glenlivet ($13) from Scotland, the same water used to make the spirit and 10 Thousand BC ($21) from Canada.

The menu includes a description of the origin of the water, minerals it contains and its pH level. Some waters are sodium free, others nitrate free, kings consumed some and some were never touched by humans, speaks the menu’s introduction.

The most expensive water on the menu? That would be Bling H2O ($55). The water inside the pretty bottle--which can be kept as a keepsake or reused for such things as olive oil--is sourced from Tennessee’s English Mountain Spring. Via Genova offers all sizes and a variety of colors including Bling H2O’s PET bottles for on-the-go-hydration. Felicissimo hasn’t adapted Bling H2O’s Martini Menu, but she is thinking about the possibilities of pairing waters with natural flavors, like edible flowers. She does, however, flavor some of the café’s German waters tableside with raspberry and blackberry syrups—as that is the traditional way to drink water in Germany, she explains.

When Boyd is asked if Bling H2O plans to release any flavored waters his response is that Bling’s flavor is in its crystals. He is working on a special collection of bottles that will showcase real diamonds and rubies. The next step for Boyd would be a sparkling Bling H2O—Bling Fizz, possibly.

In terms of price, well, some drinks just aren’t for everyone.“It’s a lifestyle product,” says Boyd. “It’s premium water, with premium packaging, which merits a premium price tag.” Source: Beverage Marketing

September 2007                                                                                                                                                                 Back To The Top

Comfort Factor

Did you know water plays an important role in cushioning your joints and protecting your body organs and tissues? It is also important for regulating body temperature and helps keep tissues such as your mouth, eyes and nose moist.

Dehydration Detection:
Under normal dietary, physical and environmental conditions, thirst is our body's way of signaling us to drink more and stay hydrated. However, when the body loses too much water too quickly, e.g., excessive sweating, then thirst can be one of the early signs of dehydration.

Plain Water Doesn't Tickle Your Fancy:
If you are looking for a beverage alternative without all the calories, and for those who find water consumption boring or difficult, there are delicious new alternatives such as Fruit2O - naturally flavored water with Zero calories, Zero grams of carbohydrate and Zero grams of sugar per serving.

Water Game Plan:
For road trips, stock up on single serve portable bottles of water; develop habits such as drinking a glass of water before each meal and leaving a pitcher of water on the table; and create a water schedule, especially important for kids who often don't stop to hydrate.

August 2007                                                                                                                                                                                     Back To The Top

Honolulu Company Selling Deep Seawater As Exotic Ingredient

HONOLULU -- A crew of former crab fishermen from Alaska has found a new livelihood in warmer and less dangerous waters off Hawaii, harvesting water from 3,000 feet below the surface to use in everything from beer to face creams.

The crew was hired by Deep Ocean Hawaii, a Honolulu-based company that is desalinating deep seawater aboard its vessel off Oahu and then marketing it as an ingredient free of impurities.

The company projects it can become a $50-million business in two years, eventually pumping 500,000 gallons of fresh deep seawater a day. It also hopes to develop its shipboard technology as an emergency source for drinking water.

In just a few years, deep seawater already has become Hawaii's biggest foreign export, with four other businesses shipping $37-million worth of bottled seawater a year, mostly for sale in Japan for up to $5 a bottle.

DOHawaii is the first company that will be exporting the Hawaii water in giant bladders for use in other products, rather than by the bottle.

"We're making ingredients, not the finished product," said Rudy Ahrens, chief executive of DSH International Inc., which operates as DOHawaii. "But this is going to add value to products all over the world.

The benefits and purity of any bottled water over treated tap water have been debated for years as the bottled water industry has expanded globally, but desalinated Hawaii deep seawater offers a special appeal.

It is touted by DOHawaii and other companies as a commodity that is thousands of years old, protected from modern impurities and pollution by a layer of the ocean which separates the warm surface water from colder water near the bottom.

Unlike water found above the thermocline layer, deep seawater doesn't contain hormones, pollution, pathogens or other compounds as the water has slowly migrated from the Arctic, said Hans Krock, professor emeritus in ocean engineering at the University of Hawaii and president of OCEES International Inc., a renewable energy consulting company.

"It's basically water that's been isolated from human influences," said Krock, who also advises and has a small ownership share in DOHawaii.

Independent research confirms deep seawater is more pristine and isolated from chemicals and other human-caused impurities found near the surface of the ocean, said Daniel Repeta, a senior scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts.

But the water could still be affected by materials dropped into the ocean, said Repeta, who has independently studied the deep water off the Big Island.

DOHawaii's 144-foot Spirit of the North, anchored more than three miles off the west coast of Oahu recently, started filling 5,200-gallon bladders installed in 20-foot-cargo containers. Current production is at 80,000 gallons of fresh water a day.

Much of the crew of the ship has spent the past 25 years in Alaska fishing for king crab, so development of the technology to harvest the water was a new challenge, said Ken Ostebo, president of DOHawaii's maritime operation.

"The idea of deep ocean water is simple, but being able to get it is the key," Ostebo said.

DOHawaii is entering a market developed by Koyo USA Corp. and other companies based on the Big Island.

DOHawaii is cashing in on an unlimited resource and the reputation the islands have as an exotic, isolated spot surrounded by relatively clear and clean waters.

Ahrens said beer companies want to develop "Hawaiian deep-ocean brews" and health and beauty businesses are searching for purer water for cleansers, face creams and other products. Companies producing sauces and juices and those packaging products such as tuna have also shown interest, and some local hotels plan to use the water in their spas, he said.

The company has inked contracts with a bottling company in Taiwan and with Deep Ocean Enterprise, which creates packaging for companies wanting to sell bottled water.

DOHawaii is also in talks with a major U.S. beer company and another brewery in Japan, cosmetic companies on the mainland and in Europe, as well as hotels, said Ahrens, who has a background as a merchant banker.

After researching other methods for nearly four years, DOHawaii developed a new system which lowers a hose into the ocean and then pumps it onto a moored boat. The water is then desalinated through reverse osmosis, packaged in the cargo containers and lifted onto a barge, which travels back and forth to the shore.

On the Big Island, the state, as a commercial venture, pumps the water using a 3,000 foot pipeline and then transports it to the companies, which do the desalination, filtering, bottling and packaging.

Four companies already selling the water, and other enterprises are planning to enter the market, said Ron Baird, chief executive officer of the National Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. A Maui company uses that water to make a vodka called Ocean.

Ahrens recruited retired veteran Air Force pilot Rich Treadway to serve as his chief operating officer after meeting him during a flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles. Treadway said he hopes to develop a market with the military, which spends millions of dollars to get water to troops in desert areas.

Ahrens said a future focus of the company will be on emergency relief.

Since water supplies are often damaged or contaminated in the wake of hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters, DOHawaii hopes to sell governments the technology to pump, treat and package huge quantities of offshore water on short notice.

The company has a patent pending on its process, which Ahrens says also could play a role in an era of major global water disputes.

"Water has become a commodity of conflict," Ahrens said. "I mean without oil you can't drive, but without water you die."

July 2007          U.S. Water News                                                                                                                                                      Back To The Top

Trish May, ceo of Athena Partners, is taking a commodity product -- bottled water -- and using it like a Trojan Horse in the battle against women's cancers.

As metaphors go, that one works incredibly well.

You see, Trish's brand of bottled water -- Athena -- is named after the goddess of strategic warfare, courage, wisdom and health. Athena, as you may know, had a hand in inventing the Trojan Horse, which if you remember your Greek mythology, was a giant, hollow, wooden horse, used to sneak soldiers inside the City of Troy.

The same sort of strategy, so far, is working for Trish, who previously was a marketing executive with Microsoft for some 14 years, beginning when Microsoft had only about 500 employees (today it has something like 60,000). She's already "sneaked" Athena bottled water into distribution at Safeway, Albertson's and a division of Kroger, among other retailers -- for a total of about 75 percent of the market in Western Washington State.

Trish's battle plan, however, is not about defeating Coke's Dasani or Pepsi's Aquafina bottled waters. Her battle plan is to beat cancer -- by giving 100 percent of profits to fund women's cancer research. Her passion for that idea could not be more personal; Trish was herself diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993, just a couple of months following her mother's death from ovarian cancer.

"What I've learned," says Trish, "is that while a lot of progress is being made against cancer, the solution is not as close as one would like it to be." So, Trish decided that she would use her skills and resources to try to accelerate progress. Her vision -- her goal -- is that the Northwest will become the leader in raising funds for women's cancer research.

Trish's skills include marketing and a business background, as well as an MBA and a BA in economics. One of her first jobs out of business school was with a food company called Golden Grain, now owned by Quaker Oats. She spent about four years there, taking a grass-roots approach in the Northwest and learning all about distribution and marketing.

That was in the early '80s and at the time Trish was using an Apple II computer at Golden Grain, doing spreadsheets and using a program called Chart Master to make graphics and create schematics for the grocery industry. That was fairly innovative in those days, and Trish parlayed it into a job at Microsoft in January of 1985. The IBM PC had just been invented and in those days, Microsoft was thinking that the answer to selling software was to understand packaged-goods marketing.

"Those were the days," says Trish, "when we would have pizza parties every Friday with Bill." In those days, says Trish, Microsoft had a speed dial to the Burger Master next door and that's where Gates had a good deal of his lunches. Burgers and milkshakes were the fare of the day. "We were so small we didn't really have a cafeteria. We just did what we could to get by."

Trish was at Microsoft, in a range of sales and marketing capacities, until 1999. For the next two years or so, she became involved in philanthropy by joining various organizations, one of which was called Social Venture Partners. It was started in Seattle, founded by some primarily high-tech executives who wanted to apply traditional venture capitalist approaches to assisting charities.

She also joined a number of boards and started volunteering -- basically building a greater sense of how she might contribute time and money to causes about which she was passionate. Her number one cause, naturally, was finding a cure for cancer.

"I kept looking at what Paul Newman had done, which has always been in the back of my mind because I'm a marketing person by nature," she explains. "He is incredible. He has essentially defined the category and the practice of cause marketing to the ultimate degree by giving away 100 percent of the profits.

"At first I thought, well, maybe I could donate 50 percent or 75 percent. Then I thought -- no, for this to truly have a point of differentiation it had to be 100 percent." Then she started to look at what kinds of product categories she might bring to market in that context. Source - reveries magazine.

June 2007                                                                                                                                                                                    Back To The Top

Bottled Water Continues to Grow 

Stringent Federal, State and Industry Standards Help Ensure Safety, Quality and Good Taste

    ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), in conjunction with Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), today released bottled water statistics for the year 2006, compiled by BMC.  These numbers show that U.S. bottled water sales and consumption continue to rise, as consumers increasingly choose bottled> water over other beverages.

    The latest upward trend was reflected in 2006 when total bottled water volume exceeded 8.25 billion gallons, a 9.5 percent increase over 2005, and the 2006 bottled water per capita consumption level of 27.6 gallons increased by over two gallons, from 25.4 gallons per capita the previous year. Additionally, the wholesale dollar sales for bottled water exceeded $10.8 billion in 2006, an 8.5 percent increase over the $10 billion in 2005. These statistics demonstrate continued consumer demand and appreciation for the convenience and good taste of bottled water brands consumed on-the-go, during exercise, at restaurants or meetings, and at home or the office. However, consumers should also know that bottled water safety and quality result from multiple layers of regulation and standards at the federal, state and industry levels.

    Bottled water is comprehensively regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a packaged food product, and has issued stringent standards for safety, quality, production, labeling, and identity. Along with the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), which are required of all foods, bottled water must comply with several other applicable regulations, including Standards of Identity, Standards of Quality and additional, specific bottled water GMPs. Being a packaged food product, bottled water is also bound by the Nutrition Labeling Education Act (NLEA) and the full range of FDA protective measures designed to enforce product safety and protect consumers. States also regulate bottled water inspections, sampling, analyzing and approving bottled water sources. Testing laboratory certification is another area where states may regulate bottled water. As part of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, IBWA members voluntarily utilize the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) for a science-based approach to bottled water production and safety. FDA recognizes HACCP as a key component of food safety and consumer protection.

    "While all beverages have their role in a marketplace with an abundance of drink choices," says Stephen R. Kay, IBWA Vice President of Communications, "consumers are choosing bottled water as a refreshing, hydrating beverage and as an alternative to others that may contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial colors, alcohol or other ingredients, which they wish to moderate or avoid. For instance, during 2006, individual servings of bottled water in sizes of 1.5 liters and smaller accounted for 57.1% of the volume of bottled water sold, indicating that consumers are choosing bottled water in lieu of other bottled drinks."         The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices, that in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual unannounced plant inspection by an independent, third party organization.

SOURCE International Bottled Water Association

May 2007                                                                                                                                                                                  Back To The Top

Liquid Stats 2006

Global Consumption

The greatest year-on-year change in the past ten years occurred between 1998 and 1999 when global volume increased by 12.1 %. Though the global water market continues to grow at a healthy clip, 2006’s volume increase was expected to be the smallest for the period at 7.1%. That’s a slightly lower growth rate than for 2005 (7.2%) and 2004 (7.5%).The last time global volume increased in double digits was in 2003 when it was up 10.1%.

Consumption by Country

The US gets most of the credit for the global bottled water boom, growing in size from 205.3 million hectoliters in 2001 to an estimated 312.9 million hectoliters in 2006. Still water accounts for 90% of global volume versus 10% for sparkling.

Per Capita Consumption by Country

The top three countries with recorded per capita consumption are Italy (203), UAE (196.5) and Mexico (191.2). The United States comes in at number 10 (104.2). At the bottom of the list is Cuba with 2.3 liters annually. Next lowest is South Africa at 2.5 liters followed by Vietnam at 3.6 liters per capita.

Regional Annual Growth Rate

North American bottled water consumption’s compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9 % between 2001 and 2006 was not the highest. Asia’s CAGR was well into the double digits at 14 %.

Source: Beverage Marketing Corporation

April    2007                                                                                                                                                                                Back To The Top

Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Awards

2007 Award Winners

Municipal Water
Gold: Montpelier, Ohio
Silver: Clearbrook, BC, Canada
Bronze: Elkford, BC, Canada
4th: Campbell River, BC, Canada
5th: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Non-Carbonated Bottled Water
Gold: Tie: I Am Healthy, by Aquamantra, Mount Palomar, California & Muskoka Natural Spring Water, Gravenhurst, Ont, Canada
Silver: John Deere Artisan Water, Grayling, MI & Ramona Springs, Washago, Ont, Canada
Bronze: ESKA, St Mathieu d'Harricana, PQ, Canada
4th: Aquaroyale, Baguio, Philippines
5th: Woolrich Spring Water, Woolrich, PA

Purified Drinking Water
Gold: Coral Water, Rost Labs, FL
Silver: Crystal Mountain Natural Spring Water, Huntsville, AL
Bronze: Daytona Beach, FL
4th: Chill, Mechanicsville, Virginia
5th: Stone Clear Premium, Vanleer,TN

Carbonated Bottled Water
Gold: Sparkling StoneClear Springs, Vanleer, TN
Silver: Esparanza, Tesanj, Bosnia
Bronze: Tesanjski Dijamant, Tesanj, Bosnia
4th: Hana Sparkling, Tesanj, Bosnia
5th: Tesanjski Kiseljak, Tesanj, Bosnia

The People's Choice for Package Design
Gold: Aquadeco, Mount Ararat, Armenia
Silver: Dabau Luxury Water, New York City, NY
Bronze: StoneClear Springs Natural Spring Water, Vanleer, TN
4th: Waiwera Infinity Artesian Water, New Zealand
5th: Aquarius Oxygen Water, Eugene, OR

March 2007                                                                                                                                                                            Back To The Top

And A Poem About Water

"Water is the driver of nature...So one might say that it changes into as many natures as are the 
  different places through which it passes.   And as the mirror changes with 
  the color of its objects so this changes with the nature of the place where it passes: health-giving, 
  harmful, laxative, astringent, sulphurous, salt, sanguine, depressed, raging, angry, red, yellow, 
  green, black, blue, oily, thick, thin.  Now it brings a conflagration, then it extinguishes; 
  is warm and is cold; now it carries away, then it  sets down, now it hollows out, then it raises up, 
  now it tears down, then it establishes, now it fills up and then it empties, 
  now it rises and then it deepens, now it speeds and then lies still...now it nourishes and 
  and then does the contrary, now it is salt and then is without savor...With time everything changes."

--Leonardo DaVinci

February  2007                                                                                                                                                                           Back To The Top

Fun Facts About Water

Water has many purposes throughout the world, aside from human consumption and purposes related to that. With 70 percent of the earth's surface covered with water, it makes water the most common substance on earth. There are 326 million cubic miles of water on earth. Without water, there could be no life. Every living thing needs water to live, and every living thing is made of at least some water. For example, a chicken is about three-fourths water, and a pineapple is about four-fifths water. And as much as it is a part of each living thing, it has many uses inside and outside the home. It can irrigate dry farmlands in order to grow crops. (The United States uses 100 billion gallons of water for irrigation of crops per day.) We can cook with it, bathe with it, and use it to carry away wastes. On average, a human uses 70 gallons of water per day.

Water is very necessary to human life, and that fact is reinforced by the fact that humans take in over 16,000 gallons of water during their lifetimes, with an average 2.5 quarts per day. Water carries out life processes in everything, carrying out biological reactions and aiding with digestion of other nutrients.

The world's demand for water is constantly increasing, with no end in sight. Experts speculate that by the year 2000, the world s need for water will double from what it was in the 1980s. And since only 3 percent of the water on earth is freshwater, and 97 percent of the water is trapped in glaciers, most of the water on earth is not easily available.

January 2007                                                                                                                                Back To The Top

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