Americans’ seemingly insatiable thirst for bottled water seems to be slowing, according to new industry stats. Annual U.S. bottled-water consumption shot up nearly 46 percent between 2002 and 2007, to an average 29.3 gallons per person. But the Beverage Marketing Corporation predicts that bottled-water guzzling will grow only 6.7 percent in 2008, the smallest increase this decade. The editor of Beverage Digest isn’t concerned: “If the economy improves and consumers begin to feel better, we’re going to see at least some increase in the growth rate of bottled water again.” Adds an industry spokesperson: “We have enjoyed meteoric growth in the past, but that’s bound to level off.” But greens laud an effective Think Outside the Bottle campaign, noting that dozens of cities are phasing out the bottled beverage. Says one tap-water promoter, “Instead of being a badge for health and status, bottled water has now become a badge for environmental wastefulness. … [B]eing charged for water is like being charged for gravity.”
