Throughout the United States many consumers and businesses are electing to purchase bottled drinking water instead of tap or well water. The trend is clearly on the rise. A recent study of the bottled water industry indicates that U.S. bottled water sales and consumption continue to multiply at double digit rates as consumers and businesses increasingly choose bottled water as a beverage of choice. (Source: International Bottle Water Association Press Release dated April 13, 2006), Many consumers are choosing bottled drinking water over tap or well water because of the level of contaminants and bad chlorine related taste.
This increase in demand is significant as bottled water has also gained considerable share from the Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) market. The CSD market share was also reduced as a result of the recent program to ban the sale of CSD products in school systems.
Private label drinking water is the fastest growing segment of the total bottled water industry.
o Why the Strong Demand for Bottled Water?
The continued growth in bottled water consumption is mainly comprised of four elements, which are as follows:
o Good taste and quality of the product
o Convenience of delivery
o Supplier customer service
o A product line offering that meets the needs of the customer
Country-wide, the bottled water industry has moved quickly to respond to the needs of the market and customers, which results in the increase in bottled water demand and consumption. This trend has also proved evident in the heavily populated area of Northern Virginia in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area.
o The Northern Virginia Market for Bottled Water
Northern Virginia population has grown dramatically in the last ten years largely due to the massive homeland security build up after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This huge influx of population stressed the existing water infrastructure for both tap and well water. Tap water, although tested against FDA standards, still contained a number of potentially hazardous minerals and chlorine additives to kill bacteria. Well water, subjected to chemical and organic pollution and not tested by any government agency, proved also to be undesirable and not beneficial to health.
A recent report by the Associated Press concluded that most municipal water supplies contain potentially dangerous levels of pharmaceutical drugs including sex hand steroids. Some municipal water supplies even fail to report on pharmaceutical levels and Fairfax County in Northern Virginia is among the non reporters.