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Local opposition stalls Poland Spring water sale
Citizens want input and answers to costs and water usage
Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells Water district officials postponed approval of a contract to sell water to Nestle Waters North America, owner of the Poland Spring label, to July 30 due to a public opposition over the sale. Local citizens and activists claim the water district is exceeding its authority to sell off water assets to Nestle and denying public input into the process. Seacoastonline_7/3/08 See editorials at Water customers should look at facts, not spin and Water district answers questions
Dirty pipes keep Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania city workers drinking bottled water
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl would love to reduce the city's reliance on bottled water, but as long as the plumbing in the City-County Building remains in its current condition, city employees will quench their thirsts at the water cooler. The U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution Monday encouraging cities to stop using taxpayer money to buy bottled water because it is expensive and generates substantial waste. The mayor's spokeswoman, Joanna Doven, said pipes in the 91-year-old building turn some tap water a nasty shade of orange and that it's not very tasty. Pittsburgh pays Atlanta-based Crystal Springs about $26,000 a year to keep its office coolers stocked with five-gallon bottles of purified water, according to the controller's office. Ms. Doven said that sometime in the future, the mayor would like to upgrade the City-County Building to a LEED-certified green structure, but that until then, the water situation would probably remain the same. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette_ 6/28/08
The recall is for the one-gallon Nestlé Pure Life Purified Drinking Water sold ONLY in Shop-Rite stores in the five Northeast states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. This affects ONLY the one-gallon size. Fewer than 150 one-gallon bottles of Nestlé Pure Life Purified Water are implicated, produced in a short timeframe on May 5, 2008 between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM. The product date code is printed on the shoulder of one-gallon bottles. The code is: First line..........050508126WF024 Second line.........Starts with the numbers "08" For example: 0801BB05/2010 The product in question may contain a diluted form of a common food grade cleaning compound that results in a bitter or sour taste. This could pose a potential health concern if ingested in large quantities over an extended period of time and should not be consumed or used in preparing infant formulas or other foods or beverages. No illnesses have been reported. To further assure consumers, Shop-Rite, as of Monday, June 23rd, has removed any remaining affected product from their stores and warehouses. Consumers who possess this product or have questions should contact the company at a toll free number 866-599-8980 available 24 hours a day. This same toll-free number is also printed on the front of all product labels for the one-gallon size. News Release/Business Wire_ 6/24/08
U.S. Conference of Mayors votes to ban bottled water
WaterWebster.org staff report
6/23/08
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Mayors representing about 250 U.S. cities voted Monday to ban bottled water from city meetings and offices, except in cases of emergency. On a voice vote, members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors supported a resolution proposed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom that urges all mayors to phase out, “where feasible,” bottled water and support municipal water, said conference spokesperson Elena Temple. Newsom earlier estimated San Francisco saved $1 million by using tap water instead of bottled. Co-sponsors of the resolution represented cities large and small, from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chicago’s Richard Daley, to Mayors Joseph A. Curtatone of Somerville, Ma., and Dan Coody of Fayetteville, Ar. Both Somerville and Fayetteville have populations under 80,00. (full story)
In Maine, residents around Kennebunk raise concerns about selling water to Poland Springs
More than 100 people from Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Wells urged water district Superintent Norm Labbe to reject a contract with Nestle-owned Poland Springs bottled water because the 30-year deal doesn't offer the district enough money and it's not known what water supplies will be like in coming years. The district is scheduled to vote Wednesday. Labbe said the plan could add jobs and that Poland Springs would pay about six-tenth of a cent more per gallon for the water than other commercial customers are charged. A company spokesman later told the Portland Press Herald that fee is in line with what it pays elsewhere but residents argued it wasn't high enoigh. Portland Press Herald_ 6/23/08
Michigan lawmakers to consider 10-cent deposit on bottled water to encourage recycling
Michigan's 10-cent deposit on pop cans and beer bottles works so well that its creators want to add water and juice containers to the recycling program passed by voters in 1976. But the newly revived effort faces potentially insurmountable odds in the Legislature, especially in the face of intense lobbying from grocers. Because it took a ballot initiative to enact the bottle law, the measure can only be amended if three-fourths of lawmakers agree. People return 97 percent of the 5.5 billion cans and bottles for which they pay a deposit. They recycle only 20 percent of increasingly popular plastic water bottles, which didn't even exist 32 years ago. Nearly 1 billion non-carbonated drink containers are thrown away each year in Michigan. WoodTV8_ 6/22/08
Bottled water competes with city budgets at U.S. Conference of Mayors' annual meeting
WaterWebster.org staff report
6/20/08
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It’s bottled vs. tap this weekend as mayors from across the country gather for the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and a vote that could banish the bottle from city meetings and offices. A resolution scheduled for a vote Monday urges cities to phase out the use of bottled water except in emergency situations. It was proposed by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who estimated a ban on bottled water saved his city $1 million, and is backed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. But it’s not just the larger cities that support the ban. Dan Coody, mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas, population 68,000-plus, and co-chair of the Conference’s Water Council, said his city discontinued the use of bottled water several years ago. Coody said he didn’t know how much bottled water cost the city, but the main issues included spending money for water that in many cases “is exactly the same quality as what’s right next to you in the kitchen.” (full story)
Bottled water slumps with the economy
The lousy economy may be accomplishing what environmentalists have been trying to do for years - wean people off the disposable plastic bottles of water that were sold as stylish, portable, healthier and safer than water from the tap. U.S. consumers spent $16.8 billion on bottled water in 2007, according to the trade publication Beverage Digest. That's up 12 percent from the year before - but it's the slowest growth rate since the early 1990s, said editor John Sicher. AP/San Jose Mercury News_ 6/18/08
New York City Council bans bottled water from its offices and events
Last week, the speaker’s office announced that it would stop buying bottled water for the Council’s downtown offices, which went through at least 6,000 single-serving bottles last year. As a result, bottled water will no longer be available at City Council events or official functions. In addition, the city has started a pilot program with water coolers that use filtered tap water. Nine of the coolers have been installed in the last six months at City Hall and in the Municipal Building. These small shifts come as the United States Conference of Mayors, meeting this weekend in Miami, plans to debate a resolution urging city governments across the country to do the same. New York Times_ 6/17/08 (logon required)
To paraphrase an old axiom: You don’t buy water, you only rent it. So why did Americans spend nearly $11 billion on bottled water in 2006, when we could have guzzled tap water at up to about one ten-thousandth the cost? The facile answer is marketing, marketing and more marketing, but Elizabeth Royte goes much deeper into the drink in “Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It,” streaming trends cultural, economic, political and hydrological into an engaging investigation of an unexpectedly murky substance. “Bottlemania” is an easy-to-swallow survey of the subject from verdant springs in the Maine woods to tp water treatment plants in Kansas City; from the grand specter of worldwide water wars, to the microscopic crustaceans called copepods, whose presence in New York’s tap water inspired a debate by Talmudic scholars about whether the critters violated dietary laws, and whether filtering water on the Sabbath constituted work. (Verdict: no and no.) New York Times_ 6/15/08 (logon required)
In UK, bottled water to be repllced by tap at Westminster council
It has re-fitted all free-standing water dispensers with ones plumbed directly into the mains supply, saving 1,050 bottles each year. The authority has also replaced pre-bottled water at all council meetings with new re-usable ones. More than £12,000 will be saved each year from the move, Westminster Council has said. BBC News_ 6/10/08
Canada's top court dismisses fly-in-water case
Canada's top court has unanimously dismissed the case of a man suing a company for psychological damages he says he suffered after finding dead flies in his water bottle. The Supreme Court of Canada was examining whether Culligan of Canada Ltd., a company that supplies big blue water bottles used in home dispensers, had a duty of care to Waddah (Martin) Mustapha and his family, and whether the psychiatric harm Mustapha suffered as a result of discovering the flies was foreseeable. The Windsor, Ont., man has maintained that the discovery of one and a half flies in the large water bottle triggered depression, phobia and anxiety that affected his work and even his sex life. He was seeking more than $300,000 in compensation. In a 9-0 ruling issued Thursday, the Supreme Court decided that the damages Mustapha claimed to have suffered, while imaginable, were not foreseeable. Because Mustapha's reaction could not have been predicted, the court decided Culligan could not be liable. Mustapha has said he vomited when he and his wife spotted a whole fly and part of another fly in their unopened water bottle in November 2001. CBC 5/22/08
U.S. bottled water consumption grew 6.9 percent in 2007
The world's top consumer of bottled water, the United States, consumed 8.823 million gallons in 2007. Compared to 2006, US consumption grew 6.9%. US consultancy firm Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) even sees further growth again this year – a 6.7% increase to 9.418 million gallons. According to the BMC, the wholesale dollar sales for bottled water in the US exceeded US$11.55 billion in 2007 - a 6.4% rise compared to US$10.85 billion recorded in 2006. Recent BMC brand data obtained by FLEXNEWS shows that Nestle Waters North America (NWNA) accounted for approximately one-third of total bottled water sales in the US last year thanks to its best-selling brands, Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ozarka, Poland Spring, and Zephyrhills, among others. The best-selling brand in 2007 was Coca-Cola Company’s Dasani with wholesale dollar sales of US$1.6 billion – in other words 13.9% of US bottled water sales last year. In second position comes PepsiCo’s Aquafina with wholesale dollars sales of US$1.47 billion, or 12.7% of US sales. Aquafina was ranked first in 2005 and 2006 and was only overtaken in 2007 by Dasani. Nestle Waters’ top 3 brands: Poland Spring, Arrowhead, Nestle Purelife come in 3rd, 4th, 5th position. Their 2007 sales amounted to US$878 million (7.6%), US$585 million (5%) and US$545 million (4.7%) respectively. FlexNews_ 5/16/08
Democrats want chemical in plastic investigated
Congress on Wednesday waded into an escalating scientific dispute over a controversial ingredient in plastic products that some think may harm the development of children's brains and interfere with human reproduction. Members of a Senate consumer affairs subcommittee faulted federal agencies for reacting too slowly to concerns that children are exposed to bisphenol A, or BPA, through leaching from such items as water bottles, baby bottles and the linings of food and baby formula cans. Senate Democrats demanded more independent research into the possible hazards of the estrogen-like compound and better labeling of products that include it. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) pushed for legislation he has introduced to prohibit BPA in all products designed for and intended to be used by children age 7 and younger. The compound is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate, a rigid plastic, and epoxy resins. Los Angeles Times_ 5/15/08
Nestle scales back plans for California water bottling plant
Nestle SA said Monday it is significantly scaling back plans in Northern California to build what would have been the country's largest water bottling plant. The announcement by Nestle Waters North America comes after years of opposition by environmentalists and a group of residents in the rural town of McCloud. With soaring fuel and transportation costs, building a 1 million square foot facility at the base of Mount Shasta no longer makes economic sense, said David Palais, Nestle's Northern California natural resource manager. The company also has built a plant in Denver and expanded other facilities in the West. Palais told The Associated Press that those expansions make a large plant in California less necessary. Critics of the plant welcomed Nestle's announcement but called on McCloud's five-member services district to negotiate a better contract. AP/Business Week_ 5/12/08
Seattle's mayor urges residents to stop buying bottled water
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels urged Seattleites today to stop buying bottled water as a way to be more environmentally conscious. The mayor explained that Seattle's tap water, "some of the finest-tasting, purest-source water in the world," is an excellent alternative. Nickels said the city charges one third of a cent for a gallon of water, compared to an average of 79 cents for a pint of bottled water. Nickels said the city's two water sources, the Cedar and Tolt rivers, produce "gold standard" water, and tap water is better than bottled water because it contains fluoride. In March, Nickels directed the city to stop buying bottled water, estimating it could save taxpayers as much as $57,000 a year. Seattle Times_ 5/7/08
U.S. Conference of Mayors begins its discussion of bottled water
WaterWebster staff report
May 1, 2008
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The U.S. Conference of Mayors today began its discussion of how bottled water contributes to solid waste. The meeting in New York City was convened as the result of a municipal water resolution the Conference of Mayors adopted at its June, 2007 meeting in Los Angeles titled The Importance of Municipal Water. Presentations also were made by representatives of The American Beverage Association and The International Bottled Water Association on new information on industry efforts to reduce the amount of materials used in plastic water bottles and water conservation in bottled water production processes. San Francisco, Albuquerque, Minneapolis, Seattle, and other cities have banned the purchase of single-serve bottled water by their city departments since 2007, citing concerns about the cost of bottled water and its impact on city budgets, as well as and bottled water’s contribution to solid waste.
Bottled water market in Europe is still sparkling
Rising health concerns in Europe have thrown open several windows of opportunities for the bottled water industry, which has so far played second fiddle to the soft drink sector. Apart from benefiting greatly from the general reluctance to drink tap water, bottled water in Europe scores over fizzy drinks due to the latter's high calorie count. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the market earned EUR 24.52 billion in 2006 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2.5 percent in Western Europe and 17.7 percent in Eastern Europe during 2007-2010. Fox Business_4/23/08
Bottling companies face opposition as worries grow over water supplies
From California to New Hampshire and Florida, corporate giants such as Nestle, Coca-Cola and Crystal Geyser are looking for new sources of water and running into resistance. Supporters of bottling plants see them as a vital source of jobs and revenue. Others fear that pumping large amounts of water from the ground will drain wells, creeks and streams. "It's no longer this limitless resource," said Elaine Renich, a commissioner in Lake County, Fla., where California-based Niagara Bottling LLC wants to pump water from the region's shrinking aquifer. "It's beyond me how you can expect people to conserve water and you turn around and say a water bottling plant is OK." In New Hampshire, residents are trying to block New Hampshire-based USA Springs from pumping more than 300,000 gallons a day from 100 acres it bought. Opposition in Wisconsin forced Nestle to abandon plans by its Perrier subsidiary to build a $100 million bottling plant near Wisconsin Dells. In Michigan, about 200 miles northwest of Detroit, residents are engaged in a similar legal dispute against Nestle. Baltimore Sun_4/24/08
Canadian school board bans sale of bottled water at its schools
The Waterloo Region board has banned the sale of plastic bottles of water in its schools starting next year, a move that is expected to spur others across the province into action.The decision covers cafeterias, vending machines, and school and board functions. "The thing about bottled water is that you can just as easily go to the tap – it's just as high quality" and in fact is tested more often and more rigorously, said Kitchener trustee Ted Martin, who spearheaded the Waterloo Region District School Board decision. The new rules don't forbid students from bringing bottled water from their own homes, "but we hope through this campaign and the education around it, children wouldn't want to any more," Martin said. The Star_4/24/08
Plastic bottle chemical may be harmful: U.S. agency
A chemical in some plastic food and drink packaging including baby bottles may be tied to early puberty and prostate and breast cancer, the U.S. government said on Tuesday. Based on draft findings by the National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, senior congressional Democrats asked the Food and Drug Administration to reconsider its view that the chemical bisphenol A is safe in products for use by infants and children. The chemical, also called BPA, is used in many baby bottles and the plastic lining of cans of infant formula. The National Toxicology Program went further than previous U.S. government statements on possible health risks from BPA. The National Toxicology Program said laboratory rodents exposed to BPA levels similar to human exposures developed precancerous lesions in the prostate and mammary glands, among other things. Bisphenol A is used in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and can be found in food and drink packaging as well as compact discs and some medical devices. Some dental sealants or composites contain it as well. Reuters_ 4/15/08
Underwriters Laboratories launches bottled water safety certification program
WaterWebster staff report
April 14, 2008
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The new Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certification mark will enable bottled water companies to demonstrate to the public that the quality and safety of the water has been validated by a third party, UL said in a news release. Under the program, UL will independently test water for bottlers who want the certification label. If the water passes the tests, UL will certify to consumers that it meets Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) requirements. In addition, UL said it has “extensive analytical capabilities for contaminants of emerging concern including pharmaceuticals and is happy to offer this testing to bottled water producers who are interested in this service.” The Associated Press last month reported on the prevalence of small amounts of drugs in U.S. water supplies. In the summer of 2007, UL commissioned a blind market research study to quantify the value of the UL Mark among U.S. consumers of bottled water. According to the company announcement, the study found that in every tested scenario there was significant consumer preference for bottled water brands that carry the UL Mark, and that many consumers would switch brands or pay more to get the benefits of the UL Mark. (full story)
Korean tap water to go on sale as bottled water
The Ministry of Environment said Monday it will allow commercial sales of tap water. There are already several brands of bottled water of a kind released by local governments, such as Arisu of Seoul and Sunsoo of Busan. However, these bottles were given to the public free of charge at large public events only and were not sold to ordinary citizens. Bottled tap water sales will begin in October. The ministry said it hopes the marketing of such water will not only expand the drinking water market but also elevate public recognition of tap water safety. The tap water will have passed through clean new pipes and will therefore be safe to drink. Korea Times_ 4/7/08
Nestle CEO says increasing scarcity of water could become problem for company
Nestle SA.'s chief executive Peter Brabeck said the increasing scarcity of water may become a problem for the Swiss food company, according to an interview on Swiss station Radio DRS over the weekend. Brabeck also said that due to a recent push for biofuels food growers now have to compete with biofuel makers for land and water. It takes about 9,100 litres of water to produce one litre of biofuel, he added. Thomson Financial/Forbes_ 4/7/08
New York City hot spots ban bottled water
A dozen city restaurants and hotels have declared bottled water politically incorrect and are bouncing it from their premises - so get ready to pay for tap water. These green-thinking foodies are faced with the fact that it takes 41 million barrels of oil a year to make, transport and refrigerate water bottles, and that a crushing 30 million plastic water containers end up in landfills each day. But both plastic and glass bottles are going. The Waverly Inn will serve flat tap water for free, and charge $5 per glass for its homemade, specially treated sparkling water from the tap - as they also do at Gemma. New York Post_ 4/6/08
West Virginia's Tumai water brings hope to Africa
WaterWebster staff report
April 2, 2008
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Bob Downey is exporting hope from Martinsburg, West Virginia to South Africa and other areas of the African continent, one sip at a time. Downey created the Spero Group after working as an engineer on a project in Africa and seeing the kind of help that many in Africa need. In Latin, the word spero means hope. The Spero Group in turn formed the nonprofit bottled water company Tumai, which is Swahili for “to hope for." At least 15% of the profits from sales of the bottled water are used “specifically to fund the projects we do in Africa,” said Downey. Those projects include assistance for two orphanages in South Africa and work with groups like Engineers Without Borders in other parts of Africa. Among the projects the bottled water sales help underwrite are permanent drinking water well systems and improved sanitation, Downey said. (full story)
US recalls 18,000 children's water bottles because of lead hazard
WaterWebster Staff Report
March 25, 2008
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today recalled about 18,000 children's water bottles made in China because paint on the outside of the bottles violated lead safety standards. There are no known injuries reported from using the bottles which were sold between February 2006 and February 2008 but parents were urged to immediately take them away from children. A news release from the federal agency said the bottles were manufactured in China for Downeast Concepts Inc. of Yarmouth, Maine, and sold under the product name Backyard and Beyond Metal Water Bottles.
Penta Water study shows skin benefits
By Elaine Barrington
WaterWebster Staff Writer
March 23, 2008
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Penta Water Company reports a study it commissioned shows human skin may benefit from the firm's bottled water. A Penta announcement said the company hired Dr. Jean Krutmann, Professor of Dermatology and Environmental Medicine and Director of the Institute for Environmental Medical Research at the Heinrich Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany to conduct a study of the benefits of its bottled water. According to the study, human skin cells cultured in Penta Water had significantly less damage from ultraviolet radiation than skin cells cultured in plain water, the company said. It said the findings support Penta's claim that its water may act as an anti-oxidant and promote anti-aging. To confirm the findings, Penta said it is paying The University of California, Davis, to conduct additional studies on Penta Water. Penta says its water, which comes from San Diego city water, may have anti-oxidizing effects because Penta Water is first cleaned using a state of the art purification system to remove all chemicals, particles and impurities.
San Francisco restaurants urged to offer tap water
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a restaurateur turned politician, called on his former colleagues in the restaurant business Thursday to stop selling bottled water to customers and start serving local tap water instead.
The mayor made international headlines last year when he banned city government from spending tax dollars on bottled water for its employees, saying the containers clog landfills and pollute the environment. But his new request that restaurants make the switch is just that - a request. "Not every restaurant is going to be able to afford to do this," Newsom said, noting that restaurants make a significant profit on bottled water sales. In a press conference Newsom announced the campaign to urge restaurants to serve San Francisco tap water piped in straight from the Sierra. Earlier this month, the American Waterworks Association Research Foundation tested 20 of the nation's water systems for compounds typically used in medicines, household cleaners and cosmetics and found San Francisco's water almost alone in being free of contaminants. And blind taste tests have also shown that the city's water tastes as good as, and in some cases better than, bottled water. San Francisco Chronicle_3/21/08
Stephen Colbert's Aqua Colbert
The Comedy Central comedian takes on America's love of water. There's his own bottled water brand, his visit to the American Mseum of Natural History's H2O=Life exhibit and much more. Note to dial up users, this video begins to play as soon as the page loads so it may be a slow connection.The Colbert Report_ 3/20/08
Rising US sales of bottled water trigger strong reaction from conservationists
Bottled water sales in the United States reached 8.82 billion gallons in 2007, worth $11.7 billion, making the U.S. market for bottled water the largest in the world, according to Beverage Marketing, a provider of beverage industry data. Worldwide, water bottlers sold 47 billion gallons, or 178 billion liters, in 2006, up from 43 billion gallons in 2005.Campaigners against bottled water cite concerns that include energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, waste, the environmental effect of water extraction, the perils of privatization and social issues. International Herald Tribune_3/19/08
Seattle giving bottled water the boot
The newest public enemy: bottled water
To cut down on trash and help the environment, the city of Seattle will stop buying bottled water, Mayor Greg Nickels announced Thursday. The city could save as much as $58,000 a year, officials said, by not purchasing bottled water for events or water-cooler jugs for its workers. "It is to really highlight the fact that Seattle has one of the best municipal water supplies in the country," said Marty McOmber, the mayor's spokesman. "When you look at the cost of bottled water, both in terms of financial costs and costs on the environment, it's a pretty clear choice that using city water is a much better choice." Seattle Times_3/14/08
International Bottled Water Assn. says FDA ensures bottled water safe from drugs
A recent Associated Press article reports that trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been found in some U.S. municipal drinking water systems. The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) would like to remind consumers that bottled water is not simply tap water in a bottle and that the safety and quality of bottled water produced in accordance with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards do not pose a health risk due to pharmaceuticals or other substances. Bottled water is comprehensively regulated as a packaged food product by FDA. Bottled water companies use a multi-barrier approach to bottled water safety, which includes source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, filtration and other purification techniques, ozonation or ultraviolet (UV) light. The combination of FDA and state regulations, along with a multi-barrier approach and other protective measures, means that consumers can remain confident in choosing bottled water. News Release_ 3/11/08
UK Govt to splash out less on bottled water
The government said Thursday it is to ban bottled water at meetings and other official business, just weeks after a minister said shunning tap water was morally questionable. Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell wrote "to the head of every government department suggesting they should replace bought-in bottled water with tap water for all meetings in future," a statement said. A number of departments, including the environment and business ministries, have already stopped using bottled water at meetings but the new extended policy is expected to come into effect later this year, it added. "The government is committed to sustainable operations across its estate and I have made this issue one of my key priorities for the civil service," O'Donnell said. Earlier Thursday, it was revealed that the environment ministry spent 24,744 pounds (32,333 euros, 49,658 dollars) on mineral water in 2006, but slashed that to 3,392 pounds last year. London Mayor Ken Livingstone, backed by utility firm Thames Water and green groups, launched a blitz against mineral water last month, urging bar, pub and restaurant customers to ask for tap water to help the environment. He highlighted the cheaper cost of tap water and the fact that it comes without the heavy carbon footprint of transporting bottled varieties by road and often vast distances from as far away as Fiji and New Zealand. AFP_3/6/08
Dutch drinking more bottled water
Five years ago the average person drank 17 litres of bottled water, compared to 22 litres today. Nevertheless consumers still got through a total of 1.5 billion litres of fizzy drinks last year, compared to 358 million litres of bottled water. DutchNews.nl_ 3/3/08
February, 2008
Los Angeles and Clearbrook, British Columbia, tap water, Tumai bottled water and Slavus Mineralwasser Medium best in national taste test
Though they might not believe it, Los Angeles residents have the tastiest tap water in the U.S., according to the judges of a national competition. The 18th Annual Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, International Water Tasting was held Saturday, with more than 120 waters competing for top honors. Sparkling, tap and bottled water from 19 states and 9 foreign countries, including New Zealand, Romania, Macedonia and the Philippines, were in the running. The title for Best Municipal Water in 2008 is shared by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves Los Angeles, and Clearbrook, British Columbia. First-time entrant and local favorite Tumai Water of Martinsburg, W.Va., won the best bottled water category. The company launched in 2006, and donates profits to AIDS relief and water needs in Africa. Best sparkling water honors went to Slavus Mineralwasser Medium of Emsdetten, Germany. AP/USA Today_ 2/24/08
London's mayor says knockoff using bottled water
The Lord Mayor of London has called for a boycott of bottled water in favor of "cheaper, better-tasting and more environmentally friendly" tap water. Mayor Ken Livingston says bottled water served with meals in London costs 500 times more than tap water and is 300 times more damaging to the environment, according to the Thames Water company. The mayor told his constituents not to be embarrassed to ask for tap water when they eat out. "You will save money and help save the planet. By drinking less bottled water, we can cut the climate change carbon emissions coming from its production and transportation, and cut the problem of disposing of used bottles. " Thames Water Chief Executive David Owens, said he has the best drinking water in the world and in a recent independent taste test rated higher than 20 more expensive, bottled brands. Environment Minister Phil Woolas added that he wasn't going to tell people what to drink, "but I believe there is no place for snobbery about tap water, and no excuse for making people feel small if they ask for it. " Seattle Post Intelligencer _2/21/08
Venice, Italy's 'war' on bottled water
The patriarch of Venice is urging Catholics in the Italian city to give up bottled water for the Christian fasting season of Lent. Angelo Cardinal Scola wants them to donate the money saved to a water pipeline project in Thailand. He is being backed by the mayor, who says he drinks only tap water and calls bottled water an unnecessary luxury. Nearly all Italians drink bottled water. The industry is worth an estimated 3.2 billion euros (£2.38 billion) a year to the Italian economy. BBC News_ 2/12/08
After millions of years, the way we look at water is changing. This simple substance is being transformed from a necessity into a luxury. People are now prepared to spend $40 for what they can get through their tap at home for a fraction of a cent. What's going on? Claridge's, a luxury hotel in London, actually has a water menu. Patrons can choose from 30 selections imported from all over the world. For the most refined palette there is Fine artesian water from Japan at $30 a bottle and $40 a bottle, or Mahaolo from Hawaii, described on the menu as "rare deep sea water" that is "very old." And Just Born Spring Drops from India is apparently "light and not aggressive," at $42 per bottle. ABC News_ 2/8/08 (Nightline)
GAO asked to investigate impact of bottled water use
By WaterWebster.org staff
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The public debate over widespread use of bottled drinking water moved to Washington Thursday. Leaders of a House environmental subcommittee asked for an examination of the fast-growing industry’s impact on resources and consumers.The chair and vice chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials urged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct the inquiry. Reps. Albert R. Wynn (D-Md), the subcommittee chair and Hilda Solis (D-Ca), the vice chair, also asked the GAO to separately scrutinize the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards for TCE, perchlorate and other drinking water contaminants, according to a news release.On the issue of consumers switching from tap water to bottled, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) said in a news release it will work with the GAO on the study but believes the safety, quality and labeling of bottled water already are well-regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and state governments.
China Water and Drinks signs agreement for private placement of $50 million in convertible notes
China Water and Drinks, Inc. is a leading producer and distributor of bottled water in the People's Republic of China. Investors in today's agreement included Goldman Sachs, Liberty Harbor Master Fund I, L.P., The Pinnacle Fund, L.P., Pinnacle China Fund, L.P., and others. The net proceeds will be used for acquisitions. The convertible notes will bear an interest rate of 5.0% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears beginning March 31, 2008. Through its production facilities in Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Feixian, Changchun, Nanning and Shenyang, China Water and Drinks produces and distributes bottled water to eleven provinces in China. The Company markets its own product under the brand 'Darcunk', supplies purified water to both local and international beverage brands such as Coca-Cola and Uni-President and provides private label bottled water for companies such as Sands Casino, Macau. News Release_ 1/25/08
Nestle loses sales as restaurant bans bottled water
Tap water is fine for Alice Waters, who stopped selling bottled stuff last year at her environmentally conscious Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California. That could be bad news for Nestle SA. Per-capita sales of the product in the U.S. will rise 6.3 percent this year and 3.6 percent in 2010, slowing from 8.9 percent last year, according to Euromonitor International Ltd. Operating profit growth at Nestle's water unit, whose 2006 sales of 9.6 billion Swiss francs ($8.7 billion) were 10 percent of the Swiss company's total, will shrink by half to 5 percent in 2008, UBS AG has forecast. Beverage companies including Nestle, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. are also facing inroads from private labels in the $15 billion industry. The competition comes as religious groups and environmentalists say that bottling wastes energy and overtaxes landfills. "All this energy to bottle water, carbonate it, put it in the glass, ship it and truck it to our restaurant -- it was such a waste,'' said Mike Kossa-Rienzi, 43, general manager of Chez Panisse. The restaurant used to sell about 25,000 bottles a year. Now Chez Panisse filters and serves tap, flat or carbonated, in a glass carafe for free. Bloomberg.com_1/22/08
Madison, Wisconsin considers ban on plastic water bottles
The city partly known for its environmentalism could take it a step further by banning bottled water and the use of plastic grocery bags. Madison’s Commission on the Environment is expected to begin discussing the bans after members voted unanimously at the end of last year to put them on upcoming agendas. Several U.S cities already prohibit retail stores from providing plastic shopping bags, and many in Europe charge extra for the bags, said commission chairman Jon Standridge. San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Mich., and a few other cities don’t allow bottled water to be sold at public events. The problem with plastic bags and bottles is that while they can be recycled, they don’t break down if they end up in landfills. Another environmental problem is the energy and resources used to make the plastic in the first place, Standridge said. The International Bottled Water Association is fighting proposed bans in a number of cities, said Peter Birschbach, plant manager for Premium Waters in Chippewa Falls. Birschbach argued water bottlers use only a fraction of the ground water and proper disposal of bottles can best be addressed through education. AP/Appleton Post-Crescent_ 1/17/08
Even as bottled water companies continue to see increased sales, the recent raft of negative media coverage and activist campaigns against the industry has caused a product once seen as fundamentally green and healthy to lose some of its luster. Now, brand-name bottlers are scrambling to reposition their products by upping their green credentials to fend off further consumer backlash fermenting in churches, college campuses, and city halls across the country. By now, most Americans have heard reports that point to the amount of oil it takes to produce and transport bottled water, in addition to the masses of plastic bottles that are used once and not recycled. But most American consumers don't seem to be changing their habits. Since 2002, the US market has seen an increase in bottled water production of more than 9 percent per year, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation. After soft drinks, water has been the second-largest commercial beverage by volume since 2003. Production for 2007 is projected to be more than 9 billion gallons, with revenues clocking in just under $12 billion. Despite buoyant profits, critics say it is only a matter of time before the tide turns against the bottle. Meanwhile, a chorus of state and local governments, social justice groups, and college students are turning up the heat on Big Water. In response to their detractors, some water brands are attempting to revive their green images. For example, FIJI Water, the second-largest imported bottled water brand in the United States, recently announced plans to become carbon-negative by 2010 by using renewable energies and offsetting emissions through land-preservation projects. Christian Science Monitor_1/16/08
Lawsuit filed to overturn Chicago bottled water tax
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court to overturn a City of Chicago ordinance that imposes a regressive 5-cent-per-container tax on bottled water. Other plaintiffs in the suit include the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the Illinois Food Retailers Association, and the American Beverage Association. "The bottled water tax is regressive and will place an unfair burden on those who can least afford it: the City's low and fixed-income citizens, including the elderly," said IBWA President and CEO Joe Doss. "It is the consumer who will ultimately bear the brunt and pay the tax, which will add about 30 percent to the cost of a case of bottled water." IBWA and fellow plaintiffs argue that the ordinance, which became effective on January 1, 2008, unlawfully taxes a food product, which is expressly prohibited by Illinois law. Furthermore, the Illinois State Constitution requires tax uniformity, meaning that a specific product cannot be taxed when other similar products are not. The bottled water tax does not include other packaged beverage products that are made mostly from water. News Release_ 1/4/08
Woolrich closing Pennsylvania bottled water operation after two years
Woolrich President Jim Griggs made the announcement Thursday afternoon, stating a need for the 150-year-old company to better focus its resources on core Woolrich businesses. Six employees will lose their jobs due to the shutdown, Woolrich Director of Marketing and Media Tim Joseph said. The Woolrich bottled water division began operations in 2005 with a largely automated, state-of-the-art facility selling bottled water to distributors, health care systems, schools, universities, and small businesses throughout Pennsylvania and several surrounding states. Woolrich bottled water was honored last spring in the largest taste-testing competition in the world, placing 5th among entries from 23 states and 10 foreign countries. The Express_ 1/4/08
As part of a campaign against Chicago's upcoming bottled-water tax, an alliance of food and beverage retailer associations plans to file a lawsuit challenging the tax when it goes into effect in the new year. The American Beverage Association, the International Bottled Water Association, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Food Retailers Association, have long argued against the tax, which will levy a 5-cent surcharge on every bottle of water bought in Chicago beginning Jan. 1. Proponents of the tax, which was approved by the City Council this fall as the first of its kind in the nation, have argued that it will encourage water drinkers to forgo plastic water bottles and favor tap water, as well as bring in an estimated $10.5 million in tax revenues annually. But bottled-water retailers and manufacturers say the tax is nothing but a thinly veiled money grab, which in the end will drive shoppers and vital business out of Chicago. Chicago Tribune_12/26/07
Six water brands found unsafe in Egypt govt study
Egypt's Consumer Protection Agency found six locally produced brands of bottled water, including Schweppes, unfit for human consumption, agency chairman Said el-Alfy said on Wednesday. Alfy said at a news conference that a study financed by his one-year-old agency and conducted over two months by the Central Egyptian Society for Consumer Protection and the Health Ministry took samples of 21 bottled water brands and discovered bacteria in six of them. The study said the contaminated samples are the 1.5-litre bottles of Schweppes and el-Nada and the 19-litre bottles of Nahl, Aquastone, Aquamena and Hayat. The study also found seven other brands were fraudulently labeled -- meaning the ingredients on labels did not match what was in the water -- but said they were still fit for consumption. Those include the 1.5-litre bottles of Baraka, el-Manar, Delta, Hayat, Aquamena and Nahl and 19-litre bottles of Siwa. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement on Wednesday that it had formed an emergency committee to inspect the factories as soon as possible. The Guardian_12/27/07
Miniature artist EJ Meissner begins bizarre bottled water art project
Artist EJ Meissner, creator of two of the World’s smallest violins, announces his latest project: frigginwater, an “Art As Product” line of bizarre bottled waters, each with strange storylines and corresponding artwork. The bottle “styles” will tackle current events and American culture, always with an odd and humorous bent. One new “style” will be released each month. The water is meant to be an inexpensive collectible with social commentary, but the water is safe to drink and is packaged by USDA-approved bottlers. News Release/PR.com_ 12/10/07
Canada's Mountain Equipment pulls water bottles off shelves
Mountain Equipment Co-op, Canada's largest specialty outdoor-goods retailer, says it has pulled most food and beverage containers made of polycarbonate plastic from its shelves, citing concern over possible health risks. The Vancouver-based firm been one of the largest sellers of such products as polycarbonate Nalgene water bottles, and probably has done more than any retailer to make the distinctive, brightly coloured containers an iconic product everywhere from backcountry campsites to urban offices and university campuses. The retailer didn't issue a public announcement that it removed the containers, but made a decision to take action Monday and instructed staff to cart polycarbonate products out of stores Wednesday. The plastic in question is made mostly from bisphenol A, which mimics estrogen and is derived from petrochemicals. It has been linked in dozens of independent research studies to illnesses that could be caused by hormone disruption. However, manufacturers of bisphenol A say their research shows the material to be harmless. The Globe and Mail_12/7/07
Recall of Metromint water sold online
A small San Francisco company issued a voluntary recall Wednesday of its mint-flavored water because of possible contamination. Soma Beverage Co. said it found an isolated case of Bacillus cereus contamination in a water sample bottled a year ago at a Southern California plant. Bacillus cereus contamination can cause food poisoning, with symptoms including nausea and diarrhea. The Metromint water was sold in 16.9-ounce plastic bottles in peppermint, spearmint, orangemint and lemonmint flavors. The recall involves water with a "Best before 2006/12/21" date printed on the shoulder of the bottle and the lettering "KSA" in a rectangle located on the lower-right corner of the back panel of the label. Scott Lowe, who co-founded the company with his wife in 2004, said the water in question was sold only online and would not be found in local stores. SFgate.com_12/6/07
Toronto, Canada kills proposal to tax bottled water
A possible city tax on bottled water - even the study of a new levy - was killed off yesterday by Toronto Mayor David Miller and his cabinet-like executive committee. On a verbal vote, a majority of the 13-member committee accepted the advice of city staff that Toronto has no jurisdiction to impose such a tax. While the result was not unexpected, representatives of water bottlers, grocery chains and small retailers showed up to plead with councillors to abandon any talk of a five- or 10-cent levy on bottled water. But the debate triggered a call - likely to be debated at council next month - for the province to adopt a deposit-return system to curb the volume of water bottles recycled through the blue-box system. Globe and Mail_ 11/27/07
Mayor of Toronto, Canada says city should consider tax on bottled water
A month after Toronto adopted new vehicle-registration and land-transfer taxes, Mayor David Miller says the city should study taxing bottled water. In a letter that council's executive committee will tackle on Monday, the Mayor expresses his support for a request from Bill Saundercook, a Parkdale-High Park councillor who wants the city to explore adding an extra five cents to the cost of water bottled in Ontario, and 10 cents to the cost of water bottled outside the province. "I am prepared to support [the request] in terms of staff reviewing the issue and determining if measures are appropriate and legal and would recommend that the committee endorse the councillor's request," Mr. Miller wrote in a letter to executive members dated Nov. 13. City of Toronto budget chief Shelley Carroll warned yesterday that the city does not have the power to directly tax manufacturers, leaving the city to force individual store owners to collect the tax. So far, city staff have recommended against that option for taxing liquor and cigarettes, saying the tax would be too expensive and impractical to administer. "I anticipate that we're going to get roughly the same answer [on bottled water] that we got on the possibility of City of Toronto Act taxes on liquor and cigarettes," Ms. Carroll said. National Post_ 11/21/07
Chicago tax on bottled water faces legal challenges
Chicago's new and unprecedented 5-cent tax on each container of bottled water sold in the city appears destined for a legal fight. The Chicago City Council on Tuesday approved what is believed to be the nation's first special tax on bottled water. Effective Jan. 1, each container will be taxed a flat 5 cents; a six-pack of water bottles would carry an additional 30 cents, and so on. The measure was approved as part of a much larger package of tax-and-fee increases that is supposed to balance the 2008 city budget. Opponents are "strongly moving toward" filing a lawsuit and are considering several potential legal arguments, said Nicole Julal, staff attorney for the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, which joined other state and national commercial groups in lobbying against the bottled-water tax. She said it is unfair to tax bottled water and not other drinks, such as juice and soda, that also are sold in plastic containers. Gatehouse News Service/Peoria Journal Star_ 11/17/07
Bottled water, once an icon of a healthy lifestyle, has become a pariah, the environmentally incorrect humvee of beverages. In recent months, dissent over the once innocuous bottle of Aquafina or Dasani has grown from a trickle to a tsunami. Throughout the region, tap water is getting a boost from college events and eco-campaigns. At least one restaurant is about to banish bottled water, even as another celebrates it with 42 selections. Bottled water - a $10.9-billion-a-year industry in the United States - has even emerged as a moral issue, a peace issue. Taking advantage of the hoopla, American Water Works has launched an ad campaign to plug the value of public water systems nationwide, which require $300 billion just to maintain the pipes - 3,000 miles of them in Philadelphia. The bottled-water industry doesn't see the debate as either-or. Bottled is just often more convenient, said Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association. Its surveys indicate that 75 percent of people who drink bottled also drink tap. Still, momentum grows. Philadelphia Inquirer_ 11/4/07
Q & A: Spotlight on the green side of bottled water
Last summer, environmentalists took on the bottled water industry. On their Web sites and in their press releases, many environmental groups pointed to bottled water as a prime example of an unnecessary product that uses scarce resources and adds more plastic to overtaxed landfills. The industry’s growth did slow down. But most industry experts — and even some environmentalists — concede that the outcry was not the reason. Instead, it was a combination of higher prices, relatively cool weather and, perhaps most important, the maturity of the industry. “We weren’t even selling refreshment-size bottles of water until 1989,” said Kim E. Jeffery, chief executive of Nestlé Waters, which sells Poland Spring, Perrier and five other branded waters. “But the per-capita increase in bottled water use is growing, and will continue to grow." In a recent conversation, Mr. Jeffery maintained that bottled water would continue to sell briskly no matter how much criticism came its way. New York Times_ 11/3/07 (logon required)
Drinks firm enlists Jesus to sell bottled water
A drinks company is banking on some divine help in a new venture -- selling spiritual water in bottles featuring Jesus and carrying prayers -- despite warnings this promotion could backfire. Spiritual Brands Inc., a start-up company from Florida, is hoping to make a splash in the competitive bottled water market, worth over $11 billion a year in the United States alone, with its new Spiritual Water. Elicko Taieb, company founder and chief executive, said the company chose Christianity first, since it is so prevalent in the United States, but has plans to expand. "We are working on covering everyone, from Muslims to Jews to Buddhists," said Taieb, who said his family practices Judaism and Catholicism. He said he's not worried about turning people off with the holy images, though John Sicher, publisher of industry newsletter Beverage Digest, said it could happen. "Provocative marketing is fine, but this may well raise an issue of respect or a lack thereof," Sicher said in an email. Reuters_ 11/2/07
Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water donates 115,000 to California rescue workers and evacuees
Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water has donated 115,000 bottles of water to rescue workers who are currently fighting the Southern California wildfires, as well as to evacuees who are being housed at temporary shelters at Qualcomm Stadium and others throughout the region. Through its longstanding relationship with the American Red Cross, Arrowhead has provided 36,000 bottles of water to various Red Cross shelters. Additionally, Arrowhead has donated 36,000 bottles of water to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego in coordination with stadium staff for people being temporarily housed there and another 36,000 bottles of water to the Forestry Service fire fighters in Lake Arrowhead and surrounding communities in the San Bernardino Mountains. Other requests for bottled water from local fire departments, police departments, hospitals and others involved in relief efforts are being fulfilled either directly through Arrowhead, its retail partners or the military. In the last two days, Arrowhead has donated thousands of cases of bottled water to first responders fighting fires in San Diego, the San Bernardino Mountains, the San Fernando Valley and Orange County. News Release/PRNewswire/Corporate Social Responsibility wire_ 10/24/07
Chris Saxman was elected chairman of the IBWA Board of Directors for the upcoming 2007 - 2008 term. Saxman represents IBWA member Shenandoah Valley Water Company based in Staunton, VA. He is a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors and served as IBWA Treasurer in 2006 and Vice Chairman in 2007. IBWA also elected, for the first time, the following IBWA members to the Board of Directors for a three-year term: Philippe Caradec (Great Brands of Europe, Inc.), Marty Conte (Diamond Springs, Inc.), Doug Hidding (Blackhawk Molding Co.), and Lynn Wachtmann (Maumee Valley Bottlers, Inc.) Full list of IBWA officers and board members. News Release_ 10/18/07
Louisville, Colorado tap water to be bottled by Eldorado Artesian Springs Inc.
By gaining access to millions of gallons of Louisville's tap water, Eldorado Artesian Springs Inc. says it is in a position to expand its bottling operation and grow significantly. The company, which for nearly 25 years has been selling spring water drawn from artesian wells at the base of Eldorado Canyon, entered into a water-use agreement with the city Tuesday that allows it to bottle and sell up to 75 acre-feet of municipal water a year over the next five years. An acre-foot of water is 326,000 gallons. "It will all be clearly labeled," said Kevin Sipple, Eldorado's vice president of operations, who was quick to point out that the company is not tinkering with its marquee Eldorado Natural Spring Water line. "(The spring water) is still going to be available." The company will treat the municipal water with reverse osmosis filtration to strip it of chlorine, fluoride and 99 percent of all minerals. Sipple said there won't be much filtering needed because Louisville's water, which comes from the portion of South Boulder Creek that runs through Eldorado Canyon, is already so pure. Boulder Daily Camera_ 10/17/07
New California law requires water bottlers to list source
WaterWebster staff
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updated Oct.15, 2007/originally published Oct. 14, 2007
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Saturday signed legislation requiring water bottlers to list the source of the water on the label. “Since so many Californians today rely on bottled water as a primary source for their drinking water," said state Sen. Ellen Corbett, author of the legislation, "the time has come for the bottled water industry to provide the same information that our municipal sources have been providing for the last 20 years."
A broad range of national and local organizations, cities, celebrities, student groups and communities of faith launched the Think Outside Bottle Pledge today calling on people to choose public tap over bottled water. The Pledge supports the efforts of local officials to invest and build confidence in public water systems. Momentum has been growing over the last year for cities and consumers to reevaluate corporate control of water sources, including city water systems. What’s more, up to 40 percent of bottled water comes from the same source as tap water, which is highly regulated for its safety to consumers. Bottled water also takes a toll on the environment, and city budgets. Last year, at least four billion pounds of plastic bottles ended up in city waste streams. It can cost cities more than $70 million in dumping and incineration fees alone. Furthermore, making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil last year and generated more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. News Release_ 10/10/07
International Bottled Water Assn. charges Corporate Accountability International's campaign confuses consumers and provides misinformation about bottled water
Corporate Accountability International (CAI) today is holding events in a number of cities across the United States in an attempt to sway consumers and government organizations from choosing bottled water as their beverage-of-choice. The CAI campaign is based on factual errors and subjective viewpoints on bottled water and does nothing more than confuse and misinform consumers. Bottled water is comprehensively regulated as a packaged food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state regulatory agencies. Rather than focusing on one beverage choice, it would make more sense for consumers and government officials to focus on improving curbside recycling rates for all consumer packaging. The CAI campaign only encourages an unnecessary and confusing “bottled water versus tap water” debate. News Release_ 10/10/07
India's 'water of the Gods' flows West
Spring water from the Himalayas, home of the world’s highest peak, could soon be a fixture on dining tables from London to Tokyo as India’s biggest bottled water company eyes the $85 billion (£41.6 billion) global market. Ramesh Chauhan, chairman of Bisleri, will visit Europe this month to talk to international distributors about exporting his premium product, sourced from an underground artesian well in Rudrapur in the northern state of Uttarakhand. He is confident that Western consumers will lap up “God’s own water” as Indian companies build water brands to compete with established tonics from rival mountain ranges. With the Indian water market growing at 40 per cent a year, Bisleri has attracted takeover interest from Coca-Cola, Nestlé, owner of Perrier, Danone, which owns Evian, the world’s bestselling water, and Fraser and Neave, the Singapore-listed consumer goods group whose brands include Tiger Beer. Water is proving to be big business in India, where the seasonal monsoon sees half the annual rainfall in just 15 days. Storage and distribution is difficult, with even some urban middle-class areas reliant on tanker water of debatable quality. The poor, buckets in hand, have to wait in line for a communal tap. About 10 per cent of rural India has no access to safe drinking water. The World Bank estimates that 21 per of communicable diseases are related to unsafe water. Diarrhoea alone causes more than 1,600 deaths daily. TimesOnLine_ 10/6/07
Korean companies launch bottled deep sea water
The first bottled deep sea water made its debut in Korea on Thursday, with the launch of CJ's Ulleung Mine-water. The drinking water is processed from sea water that is pumped from a depth of 650 m below the surface of the East Sea off Ulleung Island, which is 130 km from the mainland. Producers claim deep sea water is clean and free of bacteria and other living things since it comes from depths beyond the reach of sunlight. The launch of Ulleung Mine-water is expected to be just the first salvo in a battle to sell bottled deep sea water. Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co. plans to begin selling deep sea water next month, and Watervis, another deep sea water extractor, is expected to launch its own brand soon. CJ expects sales of Ulleung Mine-water to reach US $3.8 Million next year and climb to $10 Million by 2010. Chosun.com_10/5/07
Manly, Australia council calls on residents to ditch bottled water in favor of tap
Manly mayor Peter Macdonald is calling on all other councils to urge residents to ditch bottles in favour of tap water too. Manly Council will put forward a motion opposing bottled water at the Local Government Association's October annual conference in Coffs Harbour. Coca-Cola Amatil, producer of Mount Franklin water, hit back. "NSW (New South Wales) councils are the only local governments in Australia [outside the Northern Territory] which have chosen not to participate in the National Packaging Covenant - an agreement signed by all Australian governments, Federal, state and local, as well as 470 businesses, which is working towards a national solution to achieving 65 per cent recycling rates, and other environmental outcomes, by 2010," said Coca-Cola Amatil's spokeswoman, Sally Loane. But a spokesman for the Local Government Association said industry should take more responsibility for the waste they created. The NSW Government should follow South Australia's lead and introduce a cash-back system for used bottles, the spokesman said. Sydney Morning Herald_ 10/3/07
Bottled water from the Amazon rainforest
Is there room on the market for yet another high-priced water in a designer bottle? How about one whose source is in a pristine but ecologically threatened environment? Florida businessman Jeff Moats believes so. Early next year, if a factory and production line are completed on time, his $12 million privately financed startup plans to start selling a superpremium brand of water called Equa in upscale restaurants and trendy food stores like Whole Foods Markets. While environmentalists might be concerned, the allure to consumers, Moats believes, will be Equa's purity and minimalist bottles shaped like rain droplets. His source? Brazil's Amazon rainforest, which Moats calls "probably the last place on Earth that holds boundless mystery and mystique." BusinessWeek_ 10/1/07
September, 2007
Source of bottled water to be clear under proposed California law
Most companies that sell H2O hate the idea, but the California Legislature wants to make it easier for people to find out what minerals, chemicals or bacteria are in the water they buy and whether its provenance is a well, artesian aquifer, spring -- mountain or otherwise -- or municipal reservoir. "People pay a premium for bottled and vended water because they believe it is healthier," said state Sen. Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro), author of a bill that is on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk. "But in many cases, it is the same water that is coming out of the tap." The bill would impose labeling and reporting mandates on purveyors of bottled water and operators of commercial water-purification machines. The companies essentially would be required to do what the state compels water agencies to do: make details about their products' contents and sources readily available. The water districts do this with posts on their websites and inserts in water bills; bottlers would have to include contact and source information on their labels. Right now, they don't have to. Bottled water is regulated as a food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, unlike public water systems, which fall under state regulation. The federal government doesn't demand the level of disclosure that the bill in Sacramento would. Schwarzenegger hasn't taken a public position on the bill and has until Oct. 14 to make up his mind on whether he will sign it. Los Angeles Times_ 9/28/07 (logon required)
Deep-sea water market forecasts billions by 2010
Korean government agencies and audacious entrepreneurs are looking to the East Sea to pump up unspoiled sea water stored hundreds of meters below the surface and to sell it as bottled water. Several firms have engaged in the deep-sea water business, laying pipes as deep as 1,100 meters on the eastern shore or importing bottled water from countries like Japan and the United States, where the industry is already profitable. According to Yoo Seung-hoon, professor of Hoseo University, the market for deep sea water products such as bottled water, sports drinks, edible salts and cosmetics is expected to amount to 570 billion won by 2010 and will create more than 9,000 jobs. Additionally, a legal system has almost been completed to help firms commercialize the seawater products. The National Assembly passed the law on developing deep-sea water in July, which will take effect in February 2008. At a depth below 200 meters, the water is very cold and is safe from surface pollutants caused by industry, farming, chemicals or human waste. The deep-sea water contains minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium more so than ordinary bottled fresh waters, while containing less bacteria and other organic materials thanks to the inhospitable environment. The law will define deep-sea water as water pumped from 200 meters or deeper. Although it is currently priced at around double that of ordinary bottled water in some countries, it has enjoyed growing popularity in some developed nations such as Japan and the United States, as people are starting to care more about the quality of water they drink. The Korea Times_9/28/07
Code group: University of Central Florida didn't adhere to drinking water rules
The University of Central Florida did not meet state building codes by selling water at its new football stadium instead of providing fountains or water coolers, according to a group that developed the codes. When the stadium was designed, the building codes called for either drinking fountains or "bottled water coolers." But the sole source of water for fans attending last Saturday's inaugural game was from vendors. "Selling bottled water out of a concession stand is not what the code meant," said Gregg Gress of the International Code Council in Washington, D.C. "Charging money for water is not the equivalent of a drinking fountain." School officials stood by their reading of the code. "I am confident that my interpretation of the code is correct," John Jackson, building-code administrator with UCF, wrote in an e-mail response to questions. "Nonetheless, I believe that the issue is behind us now that UCF is installing 50 water fountains in the stadium." School officials scrambled to retrofit the stadium this week after vendors ran out of bottled water during last Saturday's game, which then highlighted the absence of drinking fountains. But several officials who are closely involved with building codes told the Orlando Sentinel that bottled-water coolers referred to refrigerated units fed by large plastic jugs, commonly found in offices. The code, they said, was not meant to include refrigerators containing individual bottles of water for sale, such as those that vendors used at the stadium last Saturday. Orlando Sentinel_ 9/22/07
To help ensure that members of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and attendees at the 2007 IBWA Annual Convention and Tabletop Trade Show the have the latest information on environmental issues, IBWA has added an Environmental Issues Panel to the convention IBWA General Session. IBWA has also added an educational session to give attendees a clear sense of the media landscape and tactics that may be used to cut through the clutter and deliver positive bottled water messages. Presentations will include use and role of PET plastic containers for bottled water and the beverage/food industry, a U.S. recycling overview, suggestions for sustainable source-water-management and tips for dealing with the news media. The convention is Oct. 15-19, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. News Release_ 9/19/07
Emmy gift bags to contain real 'bottled' water
This years Emmy award attendees will be getting a little taste of Indiana. Located among the other expensive and fabulous items in the official Emmy gift bags will be Walnut Springs Water. Walnut Springs, located near the small Greene County town of Bloomfield, was opened in 2005 by M. Duane Smith and Leslie K. Smith. The bottles are real glass and have a flip top metal cap. Associated Content_ 9/16/07
Texas man sues singer Willie Nelson, distributing company over bottled water contract
A business owner has sued musician Willie Nelson as well as an Arkansas company about the right to sell bottled water with Nelson's name on it. Pat Fahey, owner of the Drippin' Spring Water Co., said Simpson Distributing Co. broke a contract he had with it for the exclusive right to sell bottles of Willie Nelson Spring Water within a 50-mile radius of Austin from October 2006 to October 2007, according to the lawsuit. Nelson's lawyer, Hal Sanders, said Nelson had an oral agreement with Simpson, and not with Fahey, to use his likeness on the water. "It did not allow them to sublicense to other people, including Drippin' Spring," Sanders said. According to the lawsuit, Simpson Distributing broke Fahey's contract by selling and delivering 13,824 bottles of the water to a woman in Marble Falls, which was within the 50-mile radius of Austin, refusing to sell water to Fahey to fulfill a prospective water sale to H-E-B grocery and failing to meet its delivery schedule. American-Statesman_ 9/15/07
Crystal Geyser loses bid to pump mineral water from Napa, California aquifer
Saying they are concerned about global warming and millions of plastic water bottles, Napa City Councilmembers won’t let Crystal Geyser tap into a city aquifer for mineral water. Crystal Geyser’s well application was rejected on a 3-2 vote Tuesday, with Councilman Mark van Gorder saying that bottled water companies were contributing to global warming by putting their product in billions of plastic containers. Plastic water bottles have become a lightning rod for criticism by environmentalists who want consumers to reduce use of goods whose production creates greenhouse gases. Napa Mayor Jill Techel based her opposition on her desire to protect Napa’s underground water supply. “We shouldn’t be mining it and shipping it out of our jurisdiction,” she said. Crystal Geyser, based in Calistoga, produced multiple reports from hydrologists who said extracting 100 acre feet annually would have no impact on the area’s underground supply. One hundred acre feet is about the quantity consumed by 300 homes in a year. Napa Valley Register_ 9/12/07
UK water treatment operator invents bottle that makes dirty water drinkable
The way fresh water is supplied to disaster-hit regions could be revolutionised after an Ipswich-based businessman invented a £190 bottle that makes foul-smelling water drinkable in seconds. Michael Pritchard hopes that the bottle could be a life-saver for refugees in disaster regions where access to clean drinking water is vital. However, the military are already latching on to his idea. Four hours after Mr Pritchard launched his new "Life Saver" bottle at the DESI defence show in London yesterday, he sold out his entire 1,000 stock. "I am bowled over," he said. Military chiefs are excited because the bottles, which can distill either 4,000 litres or 6,000 litres without changing the filter, will have huge benefits for soldiers who hate drinking iodine-flavoured water. In July a protype of the bottle was voted "Best Technological Development" at the Soldier Technology conference. Mr Pritchard's bottle can clean up any water - including faecal matter - using a filter that cuts out anything longer than 15 nanometres, which means that viruses can be filtered out without the use of chemicals. Telegraph_ 9/12/07
Nestle eyes bottled water buys in China: CEO
Nestle, the world's largest food group, is looking to extend its bottled water acquisitions to China and elsewhere as it aims for rapid growth, Carlo Donati, CEO of Nestle Waters, said on Tuesday. "Our strategy of mergers and acquisitions in future is to integrate our local activities in certain markets or to expand our geographic presence as, for instance, is the case in China, where we have a small base and are looking out for acquisitions," Donati said. Donati said Nestle did not aim for major acquisitions in water. Earlier on Tuesday, the company unveiled plans to buy Swiss bottler Henniez in a deal valued at 155 million Swiss francs ($128.3 million). Reuters_ 9/4/07
Nestle to take over Swiss bottled water firm Henniez
Nestle accelerated its expansion in the bottled water business on Tuesday by agreeing to buy Swiss bottler Henniez in a deal valued at 155 million Swiss francs ($128.3 million). Through the purchase, Nestle will triple sales in its home Switzerland, control a quarter of the local water market and add a respected brand name to the group's stable of products. Bottled water comprises around 10 percent of the group's total revenue and is one of its key growth pillars as consumer trends favor natural, unsweetened drinks. Nestle, the world's largest food company. Reuters_ 9/4/07
August, 2007
The 4th Global Bottled Water Congress will be held from 12th to 14th September in Mexico City. The conference theme Sustainable Growth will bring together speakers from major producers, regional leaders and ground breaking innovators. Nestlé will be giving the Keynote Address, Danone will be providing two speakers from Mexico and Argentina, Coca-Cola will be hosting a bottling plant tour and a Pepsi bottler from Pakistan will also be speaking. The social highlight of the Congress will be a gala dinner for the presentation of the bottledwaterworld awards on 13th September at the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico in the city’s main square, Plaza de la Constitución. The Global Bottled Water Congress is organised by industry experts Zenith International in association with industry journal bottledwaterworld. News Release/BevNet_ 8/28/07
International Bottled Water Assn. tips for safe drinking water in emergencies
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today participated in the launch of National Preparedness Month by providing consumers with tips for bottled water and drinking water supplies for emergency situations. In response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the bottled water industry provided millions of servings of bottled water to survivors and rescue personnel. As a result of this event, IBWA developed the online IBWA Emergency Response Directory (ERD), which contains a list of organizations and government agencies responsible for emergency and disaster response activities. IBWA members and other interested parties can successfully navigate the proper channels and help provide bottled water and other resources to those in need by downloading the ERD at http://www.bottledwater.org/public/downloads/erd.pdf. IBWA is a coalition member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) fourth annual National Preparedness Month. This national recognition, which is held each September, encourages Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities. News Release_ 8/27/07
Tata Tea eyes broader range of water products
India's Tata Tea Ltd plans to use a newly acquired mineral water brand to launch premium and mass-market packaged products for health-conscious consumers, a senior company official said on Thursday. Tata Tea, the world's second-biggest branded tea firm, has taken management control of Mount Everest Mineral Water Ltd after it bought nearly 26 percent of the company in June. It plans to make an open offer for a further 20 percent. Tata Tea will use the "wellness" plank to sell Himalayan mineral water and other water products, Pradeep Poddar, managing director of Mount Everest Mineral Water, told Reuters by telephone.
Last year, Tata Tea bought 30 percent of U.S. vitamin water maker Energy Brands Inc. It sold the stake to Coca-Cola Co in May for $1.2 billion, nearly twice what it paid, but said it was still keen to increase its presence in non-tea beverages, including through acquisitions. Local media have reported Tata Tea was interested in U.S.-based AriZona Beverages as well as Cadbury Schweppes Plc's North American beverages unit. Tata Tea, which owns the Tetley brand, has bought herbal and fruit tea brands in the United States and eastern Europe, and has a green tea venture in China. It also plans a venture in Russia. Reuters_8/23/07
BORBA and Anheuser-Busch announce marketing and distribution deal
BORBA and Anheuser-Busch today announced they have reached an agreement that gives Anheuser-Busch responsibility for distribution and marketing of BORBA Skin Balance Waters in the United States and in countries around the world. As part of the agreement, BORBA maintains the right to sell its beverages and crystallines in select accounts and online. Anheuser-Busch wholesalers will begin distributing the beverages in select markets in November 2007. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The BORBA line currently is available at high-end retailers, such as Sephora, Ulta, and Equinox Gyms. Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.4 percent share of U.S. beer sales. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country's best-selling premium beer. Based in Woodland Hills, Calif., BORBA is backed by strategic investor Brad Greenspan, an Internet entrepreneur and founder of MySpace.com, who serves as non-executive Chairman of BORBA. Liberty Media Corporation, parent company of QVC, also maintains a strategic investment in BORBA. PRNewswire-First Call_ 8/20/07
Chicago Mayor Daley on bottled water tax: 'It's a good idea'
Daley all but endorsed a proposal by one of his staunchest City Council supporters to slap a tax of anywhere from 10 to 25 cents on the cost of every bottle of water sold in Chicago. “Money-wise, it’s a good idea. Environmental-wise, it’s a good idea, too….There’s so much plastic in our lives. It’s amazing. Every time you look, there’s plastic all over,” Daley said Tuesday. The Chicago Sun-Times reported earlier this week that Alderman George Cardenas (12th) wanted to tax bottled water to reduce landfill costs, encourage consumers to drink tap water and close a $217.7 million budget gap. The International Bottled Water Association responded by saying the first-in-the-nation tax unfairly singles out the bottled water industry for a much larger environmental problem caused by packaging of all kinds. Sun-Times_ 8/14/07
Banning bottled water: Is Cook County, Illinois next?
County Board Commissioner Mike Quigley, chairman of the board's Environmental Control Committee, said he is in the preliminary stages of preparing an ordinance that would prohibit the use of county funds to purchase bottled water. He said he plans to propose the bill after Labor Day. Quigley called bottled water "one of the great American failures" because we are paying—financially and environmentally—for a product already available virtually for free at our fingertips. San Francisco and L.A. have banned city-financed purchases of bottled water. New York has launched an ad campaign called "Get Your Fill" that sings the praises of tap water and gives residents a free stainless steel beverage container if they sign an online pledge not to buy plastic water bottles. Salt Lake City's mayor has encouraged residents to drink from the tap. Ann Arbor has nixed bottled water at city events. And in June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution—sponsored by the mayors of San Francisco, L.A. and Minneapolis—that calls for compiling information on the importance of municipal water and the contribution of bottled water to municipal waste. Whether Chicago will go that route remains to be seen. There are no city policies in place or on the agenda to curb bottled water usage, said Sadhu Johnston, commissioner of Chicago's Department of the Environment. Meanwhile, the International Bottled Water Association, an Alexandria, Va.-based industry group, has struck back against criticism. Last week, it ran full-page ads in the New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle defending bottled water and highlighting the industry's environmental stewardship. Joe Doss, the association's president and CEO, told RedEye that bottled water is not meant to compete with tap water but rather to provide a healthy alternative to people who want to grab a drink at the store. The industry promotes recycling and has reduced the amount of plastic in its packaging by 40 percent during the past five years, he said. Chicago Tribune Red Eye_ 8/11/07
Despite New York Mayor Bloomberg's push to use city water, agencies to pay $3 million for bottled
As Mayor Bloomberg spouts on about the beauty of tap water, many city workers will be drinking the bottled variety - $3 million worth over three years, the Daily News has learned. Bloomberg plans to shell out the big bucks as part of a city contract with Nestle Waters North America, distributor of Poland Spring and Deer Park, records show. The $3 million is for water delivery and cooler rentals between this year and 2010. And that doesn't even count the $110,000 city officials already spent this year on 630,000 single-serving bottles of Poland Spring, according to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Health officials defended the city's tab for bottled water, claiming it's necessary during emergencies, and at some city offices with rusty pipes, warm tap water or broken water fountains. But environmentalists argue it's easy to overuse the plastic thirst quenchers. Daily News_ 8/6/07
Bottled water industry fights back, launches ad campaign to rebut bottled water bans
"The bottled water industry has recently been the target of misguided and confusing criticism by activist groups and a handful of mayors who have presented misinformation and subjective criticism as facts," the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) said today in a news release. It said the IBWA has provided the facts about bottled water to virtually every major U.S. media outlet and in local markets nationwide. The release said IBWA has "set the record straight about the bottled water industry's outstanding record of environmental stewardship and responsible use of resources, the industry's demonstrated support of recycling, bottled water regulation and safety, and the role of bottled water as a consumer beverage-of-choice." "IBWA determined that the effectiveness of advertising would help cut through the clutter and provide a direct line to consumers with the facts and good news about bottled water," said IBWA President and CEO Joseph K. Doss. "Some groups seek to pit bottled water against public drinking water systems. Any actions that discourage the use of this healthy beverage choice are not in the public interest." The bottled water industry supports and relies on safe, quality ground water resources as well as municipal water systems, the release said, adding we are interested in strengthening, not undermining, municipal water sources and bottled water sales have nothing to do with tap water infrastructure funding or drinking water system improvements. Doss concluded, "If the debate is about the impact of plastic packaging on the environment, a narrow focus on bottled water spotlights only a small portion of the packaged beverage category and an even smaller sliver of the universe of packaged products. Any efforts to reduce the resources necessary to produce and distribute packaged goods-and increase recycling rates--must focus on ALL packaging. News Release_ 8/2/07
Danone eyes Indian bottled water brands - report
French food company Groupe Danone has sh