Bottled water is a big time industry. In the United States, bottled water is so popular that beef flavoured water for dogs was a short-lived but telling product. In many countries, where there is an adequate supply of freshwater, prices for bottled water exceed those of gasoline. Worldwide, the industry generates between $20 billion and $30 billion globally. Countries such as Canada are exploring ways to export their lake water in large quantities for sale and consumption in the U.S. Over the past thirty years, the market has steadily grown at a rate of seven percent each year, with Western Europe being the largest consumers even though potable tap water is readily available in most of its areas.

The packaging of bottled water also represents a major environmental concern. Plastic containers are the accepted form for bottled water. Seventy-two percent of bottled water packages in the United States contain less than five liters. Every year 1.5 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water and toxic chemicals can be released during the manufacture and disposal of the bottles. These bottles that hold the water are designed for promotional, not environmental purposes. One has only to look at the pictures of mountains and streams on water labels to see that the image of health and purity is obtained through clever marketing. Along with the problem with bottles themselves is the problem with getting them to consumers. A quarter of the 89 billion liters of water bottled worldwide annually are consumed outside of their country of origin and carbon dioxide emissions, caused by transporting bottled water within and between countries can contribute to global climate change.

The health benefits of bottled water is also debateable. The World Wildlife Fund urges people in areas with safe water to drink tap water which costs roughly 1,000 times less than bottled water. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, says that for the nutritional value, bottled water is no better than tap water. It often contains small amounts of minerals but tap water from many public municipal water supplies does as well.

Bottled water is not only consumed in cultures where the water is safe for drinking. The biggest growth in the product is in Asia and the Pacific, with an annual growth rate of 15 percent in the market. In India alone, consumption has increased 50 percent per year and there are more than 100 companies in the industry. Coca Cola in Thailand has invested in a three million dollar campaign and bottled water is the largest growing sector of the beverage industry worldwide.

It seems logical that in countries where the drinking supply may be less than adequate that bottled water sales would be a positive thing, allowing those who have no access to clean water the opportunity to take a healthy drink. However, this is not the case. Until 1992, bottled water in India, for example, was limited largely to foreign tourists and corporations. The reason? Bottled water was and continues to be a cost-prohibitive purchase for most sectors of the economy. Now it is also consumed by the upper echelons of the Indian population. In other words, like in many scenarios involving freshwater, the people who need it most, who have no other alternatives, cannot afford it.

Boiling or filtering water has been and remains a safer and more environmentally friendly way for those who need safe drinking water to obtain it. And for those in places with access to a fresh water supply, it is time to bypass the bottle, grab a glass and head to the tap.