One soft-drink-industry
One soft-drink-industry executive who has increasingly turned to bottled water to boost revenue and "sells lots of Evian" explained to The New York Times recently how the Bottled Water market is helped by pollution concerns: "Water quality in the United States is getting progressively worse. Every time there's a water main break on 23rd Street and people have to boil water for a week, or there's problems with the Ohio River, it clears out the supermarket shelves." [56]
In discussing the public's concern about tap water and how this opens up opportunities for bottlers, a recent article in the magazine of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), the industry's trade association, explained:
O Premium Waters
Consumers are being bombarded with headlines warning about the potential risks of tap water, particularly water that may be contaminated with the parasite Cryptosporidium . . . . [N]ational media attention has been focused on the issue for several reasons. First, the Natural Resources Defense Council -- one of the country's most respected environmental groups -- warned consumers about the dangers of Cryptosporidium in municipal water supplies. Next, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines for immuno-compromised people who are concerned about the safety of their drinking water. Finally, the media has been extensively covering congressional activity on water safety.
