Bottled Water’s Value

As I write this in August 2007, bottled water has become a $15 billion a year industry. Bottled water’s value to bottlers is projected to climb to $16 billion next year. But what is the value of bottled water to you?

Is bottled water important enough that you order it in a restaurant? Do you so value bottled water that you have it delivered to your home and office? Do you carry bottled water with you wherever you go?

Drinkers of bottled water have rapidly increased in number, so that many consumers are now willing to pay up to four times as much for a gallon of bottled water as they pay for a gallon of gasoline. We drink a billion bottles a week – and dump the bottles in landfills.

Bottled Water’s Purity Value

When we purchase bottled water, we believe it is pure – or at least much more pure than what comes from the tap. But is it?

If you buy bottled water from the Coca Cola or Pepsi company, you are purchasing from big, trustworthy companies, right? About four percent of all bottled water comes from those two companies. However, it is now clearly known that Coca Cola and Pepsi simply repackage municipal tap water.

What the Label Does and Doesn’t Tell You

Bottled water must carry labels, and federal regulation requirements determine what is on those labels. It isn’t always easy, however, to understand what you are reading.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that about twenty-five percent of U.S. bottled water comes from municipal sources – water faucets. The two leading brands of bottled water — Aquafina (from PepsiCo) and Dasani (from Coca-Cola) both come from public water supplies.

So when you open a cold, clear bottle of Aquafina or a cold, blue bottle of Dasani, the water you drink comes from the same place as the water you’re using to water your lawn.

Do you know that if your bottled water carries the initials PWS, it does not mean pure water supply? It means public water supply. The company has accurately labeled the bottled water, but not in a way that you are likely to understand.

Bottled Water’s Value to You

As people learn that fact, how many will still be willing to purchase, and carry home, bottles of public water? They can get the same thing from the kitchen tap!

If the water you use in your home carried the same price tag that one of the cheapest bottled waters carries, your monthly water bill would run $9,000! If you use the water from your kitchen faucet the cost is a fraction of that.

Is bottled water of such great value to you?