by Victoria Mauleon More than 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Many of these people, particularly those in developing countries, increasingly depend on bottled water for their survival. But consumption of bottled water is also soaring in developed countries with adequate supplies of potable tap water. People with access to safe public drinking water-who are willing to spend up to 1000 times more for bottled water-represent the worlds largest consumers of bottled water. About half of all Americans drink bottled water regularly, and this number is steadily rising. Bottled water sales in the U.S. rose 11.5% in 2001 to nearly $6.5 billion, and per capita bottled water consumption has doubled in the last decade. By 2005, bottled water is expected to surpass milk and coffee and become the No. 2 beverage behind soft drinks. What has driven this consumer demand for bottled water? Is bottled water safer than the water that comes out of our taps? Click on the water bottle to learn more about this $22 billion business, and read what non-governmental organizations, bottled water companies and environmental groups have to say about the fastest-growing beverage industry in the world.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 07:56:11 +0000
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