Home Office Bottled Water Sees Growth and Decline

It’s easy to forget that bottled water is not just what consumers buy in the store as a single serving beverage. The home office delivery (HOD) segment of bottled water is, surprisingly, a fast growing segment.

The number of water dispensers (typically 5-gallon) in the United States has been growing by around 4% a year and topped 8 million HOD for the first time in 2019. Most water dispensers are located in workplaces, representing two-thirds of all installations. Other key locations for HOD are healthcare environments, hotels, restaurants and catering, and domestic/home use. Of those 8 million, 6 million were typical HOD, however about 2 million were fitted dispensers that filter municipal water at their point of use.

This caused revenue in the HOD segment to fall back by 1% to $4.1 billion after years of steady growth. Point of use dispensers have grown from under 1.4 million to over 2.1 million during the past 5 years to account for 26% of that market. The 5 leading players including DS Services, Culligan, Sparklettes and Primo (DS Services purchased Primo in March 2020 for $775 million) own just under 60% of the HOD segment. With the announcement that Nestlé Waters North America intends to divest its water dispenser business, the HOD segment will see significant changes.

Also forcing changes on the HOD market is the coronavirus pandemic, which is forecast to have a major effect on the market, causing a substantial decline of 13-20% throughout 2020, and then followed by a slow recovery, returning to growth most likely in 2021. Pandemic or not, water is crucial to everyone’s health and the bottled water industry will withstand the global economic variations

Purity Test: How Crystal Geyser Failed Its Own Commitment

I have been writing about water, generally, and bottled water, specifically, for 15 years: issues of legislation, conservation, and more importantly the purity of the water we drink.

I used to buy Crystal Geyser. But I don’t anymore. Here’s why.

Before I jump into this, please know that I have contacted Crystal Geyser (parent company is CG Roxane, they are privately held) many times over the years, and again for this article, and they have never once responded to me, this in spite of my being the senior editor at a well-known website within the bottled water community, BottledWaterWeb.

Anyhow, Crystal Geyser’s own website touts their partnerships, their new recycling plan, their environmental commitments:

“Since CG Roxane’s involvement began, over 760,000 volunteers have removed close to 12 million pounds of trash from California’s beaches and waterways, protecting wildlife and water quality.”

That sounds good. Except for the words “protecting…water quality.”

CG Roxane gets their water by drawing groundwater from the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This water contains naturally occurring arsenic. In my book Our World of Water: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of Earth’s Most CriticalResource, I discuss at length that most natural waters - those coming from a naturally occurring source like an aquifer, stream, etc. - contain a host of things harmful to humans: arsenic, uranium, polonium 210, etc. These trace amounts are found in water because they are part of a natural soil and rock degradation chain and are logically found in water and soil. There’s no real issue with that, as long at any bottler removes those elements down to what is required by federal law - 10 Parts Per Billion, or PPB. (There is a growing movement, which I support, to get the federal limit down to at least 3 PPB.)

When Crystal Geyser draws from their watershed they use sand filters to reduce the arsenic so their bottled water would meet that 10 PPB. To maintain their filters, they back-flush the filters with a sodium hydroxide solution, which removes the arsenic but also generates arsenic-contaminated wastewater. Often, lined ponds are built near a facility and through evaporation, the left over arsenic remains as a solid. There are also chemicals that can be added to this type of wastewater to mitigate the arsenic. Ponds must be lined to prevent the toxic wastewater from polluting everything nearby. (In Our World of Water I cover extensively the Hinkley, California situation where toxic water was put into un-lined ponds and created devastation.)

For at least 14 years, CG Roxane discharged the arsenic-contaminated wastewater into a manmade pond at its Olancha facility along Highway 395 in California. Then in 2013, the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, who oversees water in that part of California, took a sample from that pond and informed CG Roxane the sample had an arsenic concentration that was more than eight times the hazardous waste limit, creating a risk to the area’s groundwater and wildlife. Two other samples, one by CG Roxane itself, also showed the concentration was well beyond the federal limit.

CG Roxane was given a list of preliminary violations, and required to remove the pond. They hired two companies to remove the hazardous waste and transport it…somewhere. Keep in mind, CG Roxane knew this was toxic material. The arsenic-contaminated wastewater was transported to a Southern California facility that was not authorized to receive or treat hazardous waste. So what to do with the toxic sludge? Well, the companies - United Pumping Services, Inc., and United Storm Water, Inc., - dumped more than 23,000 gallons of arsenic-tainted water into a sewer without appropriate treatment. CG Roxane pleaded guilty to two felony offenses - illegally storing and transporting hazardous waste - before a United States District Judge and was fined $5 million.

It’s important to know that this did not impact their bottled water. However, as a water company, they knew exactly what they were doing and cannot claim ignorance. That they willingly mistreated the environment in Olancha where the pond was, and by allowing the waste to be dumped in a sewer shows a callous disregard for their “commitment to the environment,” and that’s why the words at the beginning of this article, “protecting water quality,” ring hollow. Their behavior is unacceptable and I have decided to boycott this company. The best way to voice your opinion about a company is to no longer buy their product. But CG Roxane is not alone. Many companies we all know, and perhaps buy their products, routinely skirt environmental laws, simply pay a fine, and keep operating. I intend to post additional articles about other companies that do this.

And lastly…in a June 2019 report, Consumer Reports Magazine identified 11 brands of bottled water out of more than 130 that had detectable amounts of arsenic. “Of those, six had levels of 3 PPB or higher. The brands are Starkey (owned by Whole Foods), Peñafiel (owned by Keurig Dr Pepper), Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, Volvic (owned by Danone), Crystal Creamery, and EartH₂O.”

If you’re buying bottled water, you need to know what’s in it. Demand better. Demand transparency.

Where Can Water Go? The Promise of Future Bottled Water Offerings

An ever increasing number of value-added bottled waters are flooding the U.S. market. Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) has identified 11 sectors of the overall bottled water market. Everything from protein waters to floral waters and spice waters have entered the market in recent years with more water concepts to follow. These new products all offer either functional or health and wellness benefits. But is there a place for a dearth of water in an already crowded market?

“In aggregate, these upstart segments totaled more than $100 million wholesale sales in 2019 and grew by more than 30%, and they are poised to have healthy growth over the next four years, though some are likely to sputter,” BMC states in their report. Plant waters are the biggest of the bunch accounting for about two thirds of sales of these new segments. Most of the other segments are small - under $10 million wholesale. These new segments join traditional value added water segments: enhanced, flavored, essence and alkaline waters. In no particular order, here are the 11 sub-categories of hr bottled water market that will show growth:

Plant Waters (Excluding coconut water)

Protein Waters

Detox Waters

Fiber Water

Probiotic Waters

Wine Waters (Non-alcoholic)

Flower/Floral Waters

Spice (Herbal) Waters

Weight Management Waters/Keto Water

Collagen (Beauty) Waters

Rain Waters

In predicting future growth through 2023, BMC states that every category will make gains, but the weakest are predicted to be rain waters, and floral waters, showing growth in single digits, but growth nonetheless. The most promising? Wine water with projected growth of 38%, probiotic waters (26%) and fiber waters with growth of 34%.

“Beverage marketers seeking to enter the water category have found traditional bottled water nearly impenetrable because it is dominated by low cost offerings from established companies. They’ve opted to enter the less price sensitive value-added water segment that is seemingly ripe for innovation and segmentation,” BMC says. These new water brands and segments may vary but have a number of things in common: premium pricing, functional or wellness attributes, natural ingredients, and use of water as a platform for innovation. That so many new waters are coming on-line only shows there is nothing to stop creativity and market share for bottled water.

Evian – Of Water, Cows and Abundance

Evian – both the water and the town - suffer from nothing. It is one of the most widely recognized bottled waters on the planet and it’s a ridiculously beautiful place in France. But people still ask me about Evian's water source. "It comes from a natural spring in the town of Evian," I tell them. "No seriously, where do they get the water,” they ask. People seem to think that Evian water does not come from Evian but from…well, where exactly? So in October 2018 I was in Evian France and I went to the exact source of the water so I can explain it firsthand.

Plateau de Gavot

Set amid dairy farms, grasslands, strands of trees and crops is a 35 square kilometer (8,600 acre) piece of land, in essence a catchment basin, or more appropriately, a flat mesa called Plateau de Gavot. In reality it's a large table of land and it sits above the town of Evian. If you ever visit Evian via boat from Lausanne Switzerland this shelf is clearly visible from far away, which then drops off and curves down to the lake where the town and actual spring are both located. If you drive into town you don't notice it. It's on this land that the rains beat down and the water is absorbed into the dirt – glacial sand, clay, and gravel - seeping down between 100-200 meters (300-600 feet) then slowly makes its way under the hillside, taking about 15 years before it percolates to the surface at several natural springs, one of which you can actually visit.

One of Evian's geologists shows me Evian's water source

Standing atop the plateau on a bright, crisp October day, there is little that is remarkable about being here except for its own natural beauty. Sure, the dairy cows meander about (producing a well-known cheese known as Abondance – meaning “abundance,” which also alludes to the amount of water inside these hills), the bells around their necks jingling like an archaic GPS while hawks pierce the air overhead. There are rugged mountains in the distance – actually the inspiration for the mountains that appear on their label - but this particular place, well, it has nothing of significance that the eye can see.

Me, standing at the Plateau de Gavot

But like most water sources I have visited across the globe (Europe, China, U.S.), the real story about water is almost always what you don't see - what happens under our feet. Rain water travels about 10 miles through the plateau to the springs then the remaining water runs into Lake Geneva, picking up minerals and trace elements like calcium and manganese from the moraine soil and glacial sand. That water is bottled and labeled, “Evian,” because it comes from there, a unique spring that was  “discovered” in 1789, though like natural springs across the globe they have been around for thousands of years until someone stumbled upon them and realized they could make money.

Just outside of the town of Evian is their bottled water plant (photos are not allowed inside), which, if the buildings were laid end to end, would run the length of 13 football fields. Shipping your water to 140 countries and offering 30 different SKUs means you need a lot of space. It also means you're bottling constantly and the Evian bottled water plant runs all day, every day. The only time the machinery isn't running is for eight hours Saturday to Sunday when the bottling lines are being cleaned. The plant is like most bottled water plants, rather uninteresting in terms of blow molds and cases of product moving about on conveyor belts. Frankly, every bottled water plant I have visited are sterile and uninspiring. What I did find interesting to watch were their 30 AGVs - automatic guided vehicles - doing the work that fork lift drivers used to do. AGVs are like driverless cars but in this situation they pick up cases of water from the bottling line and deliver it to palates for shipping, pausing and waiting for other AGVs to pass at “intersections” where multiple vehicles meet at the same time. Though devoid of human interaction, there is nonetheless a delicate and rather beautiful ballet of technology happening on the ground.

One of the early water bottles from Evian's collection

You can visit the Evian plant - there's a small gift shop and museum showing what Evian bottles were like back in the day when the resort was initially a tourist destination where people “took the waters.” Aside from that you can also visit the spring, the place where Evian water actually does come from. A visit reaffirms that the best bottled waters come from a specific source, offering the taste of a unique fingerprint of soil, rain, rock and time. 

Going Global – The 2018 Global Bottled Water Awards

(Photo: Zenith Global)

I have been fortunate to be invited to be a judge for the last several years at the Global Bottled Water Congress and Awards, organized by Zenith Global. As a judge at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting for the last decade I know that judging water is a remarkable, if not nuanced, experience. But Zenith makes their water competition unique. In addition to the awards for best still water, sparkling, flavored and functional waters, there are awards for innovation, sustainability initiatives, and even marketing campaigns.

180 delegates from 39 countries including buyers, bottlers and other water industry professionals gathered for three days high above Lake Geneva at the gorgeous Evian Resort in France to learn about and celebrate what is happening within the bottled water industry. A few notable items:

--2017 saw 420 billion liters of bottled water in volume sold worth a staggering $194 billion globally.

--Zenith projects that bottled water, including flavored and functional water, will outpace all other beverages in 2018/2019.

--Asia still dominates the bottled water market, as China remains the leader in terms of volume.

--520 million liters of alkaline water are sold worldwide. It's still considered a niche product but the category is nonetheless growing.

--According to Zenith the average person across the globe drinks 62 liters of water each year.

(Photo: Zenith Global)

This year there was a greater focus than in previous years on sustainability during the Congress, which saw speakers from across the globe. “We have to act where we always believed the government should act,” said Zenith Chairman Richard Hall regarding enforcement, transparency and sustainability issues facing the industry, during his opening remarks. And yes, the bottled water industry cannot and should not wait for any government to map out what is appropriate for a specific industry. That the bottled water industry has in some ways ignored these issues is no longer acceptable. It's time for the bottled water industry to be a true leader, to make sustainability a top priority but also get their message out that indeed there are innovations and programs to support the environment happening all the time, but the industry, quite frankly, does a terrible job of talking about them.

Cans provide a functional and creative use in the bottled water industry. Photo: M. Cervin)

Another subject presented by Tetra Pak's Environmental Director Erik Lindroth discussed a data study they had done within Scandinavia countries whereby over time, given personal responsibility of our own choices regarding the packaging problem, their study showed that a polarization had developed between those who feel adamant that recycling is each individual's duty, and the opposite with those who feel increasingly skeptical that recycling and its logical link to climate change is really even a viable issue at all. Yet numbers don't lie and whereas recycling rates need dramatic improvement, the largest contributor of ocean plastic is Southeast Asia, accounting for 80% of ocean plastic waste. And clearly this is a land-based problem given that many Asian countries do not have adequate capture rates including curbside recycling, not to mention any viable infrastructure to even support it. The subject of bio-based bottles was brought up as a potential problem solver but as Andy Peykoff of US Niagara Bottling suggested, “a bio-based bottle will not solve plastics in the ocean.” There needs to be the will to act responsibly coupled with greater education and awareness and to insure that the industry itself is operating on a sustainable model. And this is still where the bottled water industry consistently fails overall.

Me (r) receiving the award for Best Still Water on behalf of Highlands Beverages

Plastics is the single major stumbling block and the current information about ocean pollution from plastics – all plastics, not merely water bottles – will not go away any time soon. “The bottled water industry is really a plastics industry,” Marc Bettinger, Market Development Director for Ardagh Group told me during a session break. Ardagh presented a new line of aluminum cans which, though beautiful and boasting innovative designs, still suffers from being merely a can. Yet water packaged in cans, even glass, is certainly a viable offering over plastic. These are some of the issues still to be dealt with as the bottled water industry begins to dominate the marketplace. There was also a visit to the catchment basin and bottling plant of Evian, there were new innovative waters presented and a great sense of camaraderie amongst delegates. If you’ve ever wondered about attending, I highly recommend it. A complete list of winners is below.

Best Natural Still Water – sponsored by Sidel

Highlands Beverages Pty Ltd – Highlands Beverage Still Water

Best Natural Sparkling Water
Hijos de Rivera S.A.U - Magma Cabreiroá 1L Glass

Best Flavoured Water - sponsored by Ardagh Group
Icelandic Glacial - Icelandic Glacial’s Elderflower Sparkling Water

Best Functional Water
Essentia Water, LLC - Essentia Water

Best New Water Concept
Wine Water Ltd - O.Vine

Best New Brand/Brand Extension
Hijos de Rivera S.A.U - Cabreiroá 0,5L Gorjuss for Kids

Best Packaging/Label Design

Lofoten Arctic Water AS - Lofoten Water 

Best Packaging Solution
JUST Goods - JUST Water

Best Technology Innovation - sponsored by ICE Water Management
AquaBotanical Beverages (Australia) Pty Ltd - AquaBotanical Water

Best Cap/Closure - sponsored by Bericap
NutraPress (Australia) Pty Ltd- NutraPress Cap

and
Water.io - Water.Connected

Best Marketing or Social Media Campaign
Essentia Water, LLC – Essentia Presents The Overachievers

Best CSR Initiative - sponsored by Tetra Pak
AquaBotanical Beverages (Australia) Pty Ltd - AquaBotanical Water

Global Attitudes On Water: A New Study Reveals Why We drink What We Drink

Water is critical for the survival of every person. But how people think about and consume water does vary - local habits and knowledge affect water consumption in specific ways.

Kantar TNS, a global market research company, and Nestle Waters published a survey on attitudes about water consumption looking specifically at seven countries: China, France, Italy, Mexico, the UK, the US and Turkey.

What are the main differences in water consumption and drinking habits among countries? What are the main reasons people cite for drinking or not drinking water? How is information about water and hydration habits perceived?

3,504 people were surveyed, about 500 people per country. Each sample was representative of a population aged 18 to 64 years (except for Mexico and Turkey, where the survey included anyone over 18 - and in China, where the surveyed population was aged 18 to 55 years old). Not surprisingly all respondents in every country defined drinking water as a daily habit.

Nine out of 10 participants say they drink water every day - mostly bottled water (59%) and tap water (44%) but also filtered water and water from drinking fountains (23% and 20%, respectively). The UK emerged is the smallest daily consumer of bottled water (39%) with Italy being the highest (81%). China stands out in the consumption of water from drinking fountains (48%), with a 20% average across all countries.

When respondents were asked which beverage they drink every day, the most popular beverage after water is milk for China and Mexico, and hot drinks for the other countries. Nevertheless, the consumption of water is much higher than for any other beverage: 68% of people drink at least 1 liter of water (of any kind) per day.

Regarding the other types of drinks consumed daily, 4 out of 10 participants drink at least 1 glass of soda per day on average, and sodas are consumed daily by 5 to 6 participants out of 10 in Turkey and Mexico. Sports and energy drinks are consumed daily by 1 out of 5 participants in Mexico, Turkey and China. However 96% of people reported consuming water all day long.

  

On average, 1 respondent in 4 often drinks water while driving, though the average rises to more than 1 in 3 in the US.

Drinking water, tap or bottled, is foremost a question of need for 93% of the respondents but the belief about the number of glasses needed per day differ between countries. Nevertheless, there seems to be a link in the mind of the respondents between the amount of water they think they should drink, and the amount of water they consumed.

--8.9 glasses daily was the amount an adult needs every day according to Turkey.

-8.5 glasses a day for Italy.

-6.1 glasses of water are needed per day for those in the UK.

Bottled water is consumed for health and safety reasons (93%), and because it is perceived to be “natural” (91% believed this); convenience is the main reason highlighted by tap water drinkers (88%).

Survey respondents felt that drinking water equates to a healthy lifestyle and maintenance for one’s health (94% for both). The respondents believe in water’s benefits to internal body functions: on average, the two main benefits put forward are the actions of water to flush out toxins, and to aid digestion.

On average, almost 1 out of 4 participants thought that drinking water was the same as drinking other beverages such as hot drinks, soda or fruit juice. The most credible advocates for water? Healthcare professionals 90% said, and scientists 88% responded positively. Family also plays a crucial role in promoting water consumption, especially in Mexico, Turkey, China and Italy. Prevention campaigns and schools are also considered credible (both with 77%).

Clearly there is misinformation about how exactly water improves your life and body functions, both with bottled water and tap water.

Personally I drink two liters daily and know that the effects of water are long term and healthy.

The good news about this study is that so many people worldwide are drinking water, more than I assumed. Now, if we can just cut back on sugary sodas and energy drinks…

Water by Air: Does Shipping Water Make Any Sense?

Bottled water is problematic to ship – considering that a single gallon of water weighs eight pounds - be that across the city, or across the country or globe. So how do companies factor the expense of shipping costs while provide inexpensive, or free delivery?

The answers are relatively simple: volume, loyalty programs for points that can be used for future purchases, handling fees, higher costs on initial purchases, and membership fees help any company to defray expenditures on shipping. Both individual bottled water companies, mega-retail stores and shipping companies see the niche of shipping water, and a big part of that is convenience, and not requiring heavy water to be lugged from the store to your home. This is immensely helpful for senior citizens, single moms who are short on time, and consumers with disabilities for whom shopping is a chore. According to a 2016 survey by Deloitte, just 42% of consumers characterize 3-4 day shipping as "fast" whereas in 2015 it was “within 5 days,” and most people now expect 2-day shipping. In fact Wal-Mart started offering free two-day shipping in early 2017 on orders from an assortment of 2 million items for orders of $35 or more. That is down from the previous minimum threshold of $50. Money talks, but it seems time talks louder.

Shipping water for residential delivery by mail, delivery truck or freight is nothing new. In many cases it’s merely a retooling of the old Home Office Delivery (HOD) model, but with more choices of types of water, brands, sizes and frequency and convenience of delivery. For example, Alhambra Water delivers HOD with 5-gallon returnables or a 25 pound case of ½ liter bottles. Granted, their delivery is regional in California, but they have adapted to consumer demands; i.e. delivery with choices other than just their water; partnering with Voss, Fiji and Sparkletts for delivery as well. Let’s look at a few examples.

FIJI

Fiji ships only cases (12 bottles per case) so a 24-pack case of 500 ml sells for $29.50, however you get to choose shipment frequency between a 7-day and 90-day cycle, thus allowing repeat purchases. They do however offer one-time delivery as well, but it is subscription that is their most popular delivery plan; this pay-as-you-go option offers 20% off one-time rates and ships monthly, allowing the flexibility to increase or decrease case quantities as needed or pause and resume service without any penalties. It is the convenience to start and stop, order fewer or more cases, which attracts people.

Nestle

ReadyFresh is Nestlé’s delivery service for its entire Nestle Waters portfolio. So, a case (12 liter bottles) of Arrowhead will cost $14.99, but ReadyFresh allows you to choose one time delivery, or, frequency of delivery, saving money on shipping if delivery is consistent. For one-time deliveries a delivery fee of $6.95 is applied. For “rush” orders placed less than 24 hours before a delivery appointment, an additional $3 surcharge is added to the base delivery fee. Most recurring customers on Auto-Delivery are charged a $3.95 flat Delivery Fee, though in some markets it is higher; Manhattan customers pay a $5.95 Delivery Fee - Philadelphia and San Francisco pay a $4.95 Delivery Fee. Transport has always been a key consideration for Nestlé’s bottled water business model and they have built significant expertise due to their longstanding experience in supply chain management. As a result, their logistics and delivery programs are quite efficient. But no one it seems can compete with Amazon.

Amazon

Amazon ships any and all water, allowing for the most diverse selection of bottled water anywhere. Using Nestle Pure Life as an example, a 24 pack of 8 oz. bottled water is a mere $3.50, and Amazon Prime’s $99 annual fee means “free” shipping. Without free shipping Nestle bottled water 16.9 oz bottle for a case of 24 costs $7.50, plus $5.99 shipping. But that’s changing. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates that Amazon has 63 million Prime members as of 2016 and those customers are three times more likely to purchase more items than those who do not use Prime. According to Bloomberg, in 2014 Amazon launched Prime Now in New York, with couriers who drove cars, rode bikes, and took public transportation with carts loaded up with Amazon boxes for delivery. Prime Now offers more than 40 cities currently. The service’s most popular items? Bottled water and toilet paper.

Costco/Shipt

Costco signed a deal with Shipt  in early 2017 to deliver groceries to residences. Costco members do not have to use Shipt, a third-party shipping service, but it is available for all members. However, Costco has also raised its membership fees, presumably to compensate, at least in part, for Shipt’s $99 annual fee for delivery. Shipt also works with other grocery stores as their delivery service as well and dues vary. Shipt is not national, as of this writing, but they are planning on capturing a greater percentage of that market.

ReStockIt.com

This beverage supply company in Florida ships all types of bottled water; cans, glass, gallon, etc. For example Perrier 11 oz. glass, 24 count runs $27.95 with free shipping on orders over $149, but within the contiguous US only. However, they add “freight delivery” which in many cases is also listed, not as “shipping” but “handling,” so it behooves the consumer to be aware of all charges. For example, Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, 16.9 oz. bottles, 35 Bottles per case, and 54 Cases per pallet – the total cost is $363.15, with free shipping. However “freight delivery” is $76.46, with a total end cost of $439.61.

Clearly the key is a scalable distribution network, aside from that, and the issue of volume sales, the niche market will undoubtedly sustain itself as consumers look for convenience, ease of purchases, and home delivery on demand.

Going Global: Bottled Water Awards in Prague

Overlooking the historic and stunningly beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic, the 13th Annual Global Bottled Water Congress and Awards, held in October, were flush with new bottled waters, new concepts and innovation. As professional water judge I was thrilled to be asked to be a judge at this years event.

The city view of Prague from the Congress

I have been a water judge at the Berkeley Springs International WaterTasting for a decade, so when the organizer of the Prague event, Zenith Global Ltd. based in Bath England, asked if I would consider being a judge, I did not hesitate. I judged entries in multiple categories including taste, package design, brand innovation, new closure technology (bottle caps), and even social media campaigns. There were 100 entries from 25 countries including places you would expect like the US, Europe, Australia, and the Czech Republic itself, but also lesser-known places like Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Oman and Morocco – proof that bottled water is truly global.

With Nick Crossland (L) of Zenith at the Awards

In spite of criticism about bottled water, sales are up across the globe with predicted growth between 7-9%, according to Zenith. You may not think too much about water, but it is nonetheless a fascinating liquid and what is often overlooked is that the water we drink has within it the residual fingerprint of where it came from. Water from Russia is vastly different than water from Chile, or North Dakota. The hydro-geologic process ensures that pure waters consumed or bottled at their source retain the specifics of the rock, sand, limestone, granite, volcanic compounds, and everything else the water filters through, making that water truly unique.

One of the many vendors who attend

Not all bottled water is from a naturally occurring source of course; some is municipal water that has been re-treated and packaged for sale. Regardless, according to data compiled by Zenith from 2011 to 2016 consumption of bottled water was up 100 billion liters globally outpacing tea, milk and coffee. The awards certainly help to provide support for their market share as in the taste category as Lofoten Water from Norway was the winner for Best Natural Water Taste. Best Flavored Water Taste went to Mattoni Magnesia Red from Karlovarské Minerální Vody based in the Czech Republic.

But the Congress was not just awards, it was also a place for thought provoking discussion. Questions were brought up that, given the current state of the migration crisis in Europe does that help or hurt sales of bottled water? It’s easy to forget that as migrants flee war-torn areas, one of the basics they need is water. And where do they get water as they are constantly on the move? The eventual promise of financially active migrants, once situated into their new homes in a new country, could provide many future opportunities for bottled water companies. Another interesting take on the Congress was series of immediate polls conducted live with the attendees. One such poll asked what was more important about bottled water; healthy hydration, water source, taste, or promoting a lack of chemical compounds in water? Surprisingly 75% of attendees said “healthy hydration” was the most important message, even over taste. As a writer who covers water, a water judge, wine and spirits judge and food writer for 10 years, taste is of the utmost importance to me, but alas, not to everyone.

The dramatic and historic Charles Bridge

Another poll posited what was the greatest threat to the bottled water industry? Answers included waste and litter, access to natural water sources, comprehensive recycling and the like. But surprisingly 27% of respondents, a slim majority, said the constant media criticism about the bottled water industry was the biggest concern and threat to the industry overall. Yet in spite of a prevalent media bias (you can see a glaring example of this in my response to a Washington Post article HERE), consumers make the irrefutable verdict with their wallets, and this is why sales of bottled water are still on the rise regardless of an unfriendly media. Our global population will always need bottled water drawn from safe and secure sources, and the Global Bottled Water Congress provides a chance for bottled water to get the recognition and respect it deserves.

Arrowhead Water: Of Mountains, Indians & Helicoptors

Erected in the 1920s, this Indian pointed the way to the waters and resort

In the Western U.S. if you drink bottled water it’s very likely Arrowhead. Though labeled as Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water, few people realize that there is an actual Arrowhead Mountain from whence the water flows, and yes, it is actually mountain spring water. I was asked to visit the Arrowhead bottled water facility in Ontario, California, and see first hand one of the spring sites perched high atop the mountain.

To set the stage: Arrowhead water is 122 years old as of 2016, though the water emanating from the mountain has been around much longer, obviously. 1810 was the first known mention of the Arrowhead thermal springs by Spanish Padres, who called it Agua Caliente. The thermal springs soon attracted the attention of developers and the site was commercially developed in 1864, originally as a small wooden structure that offered bathing in the thermal waters, and by the 1890s a proper three-story hotel was built which morphed into a health resort. 

Early  Arrowhead water packs

Common at the time, water-based health resorts and sanitariums capitalized on “taking the waters,” including drinking plenty of mineral water straight from the source, and daily baths in the water. Of course it didn't hurt the marketing campaign that there were Indian legends about Arrowhead; that Spanish priests utilized the water, and that a clearly defined arrowhead was, and is still, on the mountainside pointing to the water. The resort was one of the elite places for Hollywood celebs to escape to in the 1920s and 1930s. Humphrey Bogart, Charlie Chaplin, Lucille Ball and many others hung out at the hotel. Today this is all private property with no public access, though the new owners of the resort might be giving tours of the palatial old hotel…someday.

The springs are at various points in the mountain, though the thermal springs still flow at the base of the mountain down by the hotel. Clearly visible from the city of Ontario and even more visible from the helicopter ride up, the arrowhead on the mountain is actually de-composing granite. I visited Tunnel #2, located at 5,400 feet up the mountain and the only way to access it was via helicopter. I landed on a small patch of dirt and made my way though thick underbrush down to the site, a staggeringly uninteresting grey door with three locks on it and a stainless steel pipe coming from the site. There are multiple access doors like this on the mountain and provide security as, once inside the door it’s about 60 feet into the mountain where the water is captured. The water is drawn into a pipeline made of food grade stainless steel and snakes its way 17 miles down to the base of the mountain where it is loaded onto trucks and taken to the nearby facility for bottling.

One of the tunnel doors. You can see the seepage of water below the door

"This is a fractured-granite spring," says Larry Lawrence, Natural Resource Manager for Arrowhead who accompanied me to the site. As is clearly evident from the mountain, the various sizes of granite around us, from small chunks the size of your hand to monolithic portions, demonstrate the natural minerals from the rock that the water picks up as it makes its way through the mountain. Protecting a water source is crucial and in addition to the locking doors, each with a rotating system of locks, each Arrowhead spring site is monitored for VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the air. It’s less about human intervention – it’s near impossible for anyone to get to the sites – but for animal intrusion and air pollution levels.

Standing at tunnel #2

Back down on terra firma I toured the Arrowhead plant which, when first built, was the largest bottled water plant in the U.S. What’s amazing about most bottled water plants is the complexity of the operation, something the vast majority of people never see. Sure, it seems simple - put water into a bottle, sell it and you’re done. But the UV treatment, packaging, preform molding of the bottles, transportation, testing and shipping of the whole thing runs seamlessly with high tech equipment operating at near breakneck speed and pinpoint precision. Surprisingly there are 200 quality checks daily at this plant. “It's not that people don't believe it, it's that they just don't think about water going through that many tests,” Lawrence tells me. “You turn on the tap and water comes out - no one thinks about exactly how water gets to you.” Behind a glassed office one tech was testing multiple samples of water, decked out in gloves, mask and headgear so as to keep the room sanitized. The Arrowhead plant was built to be self-sufficient - once bottled the product is placed directly onto a truck and off it goes.

View from the helicopter: You can clearly see the arrowhead on the mountain, and the resort in the lower left

Near the plant is an R-PET facility, producing high quality recycled PET plastic pellets for Arrowhead, who in turn make those pellets into bottles. Millions of cases are produced at this facility and that means a lot of bottles. "We tend to be at about a 95% recycle rate across our supply chain," says Lawrence. Parent company Nestle has long supported extended producer responsibility (EPR) and feels that should apply to consumer packaging like bottled water. Recycling Reinvented, co-founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Nestlé Waters North America, promotes state EPR legislation, which would shift the costs to recycle packaging from taxpayers to producers. In essence, Arrowhead is willing to assume the financial aspect of recycling costs, though in truth, we all need to be responsible with recycling. Additionally, Arrowhead is a leading water donator; having given bottled water to over 300 organizations, and has donated 1.6 million bottles of water in the San Bernardino area alone. So the next time you see Arrowhead, you’ll have a more full understanding of the water.