Spring Water - Enhanced Energy

In an era of increasing obesity, heart disease and diabetes, people recognize the importance of water consumption.

Bottled water is a safe, healthy, convenient beverage that consumers choose to stay refreshed and hydrated.

Any actions that discourage the use of this healthy beverage choice are not in the public interest.

People recognize the importance of water consumption for hydration and refreshment and that should be encouraged.

Many consumers likely drink both bottled water and tap water depending on the circumstances; it does not always amount to a tap water versus bottled water choice.

Bottled water is growing in popularity because people appreciate its consistent quality, taste and convenience and choose bottled water as an alternative to other beverages because it does not contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol and other ingredients.

The bottled water industry is a leader in the food and beverage industry in reducing its environmental footprint, while at the same time delivering the healthful value of bottled water.

Bottled water containers are becoming increasingly lighter in weight.

Overall, beverage containers accounted for less than one-third of one percent of all waste produced in the United States in 2005, and bottled water packaging represented and even smaller percentage of that total.

Any efforts to reduce the resources necessary to produce and distribute packaged goods - and increase recycling rates - must focus on all packaging.

Consumers can recycle, restaurants, businesses and governments can recycle and so can students.

Those are the actions that must be encouraged.

The wrong path is to disparage a healthful beverage choice.

The fact is that there is a huge market for recycled containers, which are used to produce a wide variety of consumer products from carpet, to fleece clothing, automotive/computer parts and more.

Why your quoted source is not aware of this fact is confounding and shows a lack of full understanding of the factors that drive the recycling stream.

Bottled water is comprehensively regulated as a packaged food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which mandates stringent standards to help ensure bottled water's consistent safety, quality and good taste.

By law, FDA bottled water standards must be at least as stringent and protective of public health as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for municipal drinking water systems.

Contrary to your quotable source's opinion, bottled water is regarded by FDA and other government agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, as a model for food safety, protection and as being a regulatory success story.

Bottled water is a healthy beverage produced by an industry that supports and relies on safe, quality ground water resources as well as municipal water systems, both of which are recognized by FDA and states as valid bottled water sources.

However, bottled water is not just tap water in a bottle and producers that utilize municipal sources adhere to specific FDA regulations to help ensure consumers are informed about their bottled water choices. It is so much more.

Bottlers that produce these products employ additional filtration and purification to enhance its safety and taste before being packaged in a convenient, sanitary, safety-sealed container.

It is about beverage choice, available to consumers who choose, or rely upon, bottled water for refreshment and hydration.

To misinform readers about anything to the contrary is a disservice and just plain wrong.

Joe Doss

President, International Bottled Water Association