IBWA survey examines beverage consumption - Marketplace - International Bottled Water Association - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Modern Brewery Age, March 4, 2002

A new nationwide survey has been released by the International Bottled Water Association. The national survey found that water is a major part of a American consumer's daily drinking patterns. According to the survey data, the combination of unfiltered or filtered water and bottled water consumed each day constitutes 40 percent of reported daily drink consumption.

The survey also showed that 46 percent of Americans drink bottled water daily, consuming an average 1.7 eight-ounce servings. The survey ranked bottled water as the third most consumed beverage based on average daily consumption, just behind filtered/non-filtered water (3.6 servings per day) and coffee (1.8 servings per day). The respondents were asked how much of 11 drink choices they consumed on a daily basis.

The survey reported the following average daily consumption in 8 oz. servings:

Filtered or non-filtered water (3.6), coffee (1.8), bottled water (1.7), caffeinated soft drinks (1.3); milk (1.2); juice (1.1); tea (.9); non-caffeinated soft drinks (.6); alcohol (.5); new age beverages (.4); sports drinks (.2).

Data cited by the IBWA compiled by the Beverage Marketing Corporation indicates that bottled water continues to climb the annual per capita consumption rankings of beverage categories, surpassing fruit juice and gaining quickly on beer. Americans consumed 5.03 billion gallons of bottled water in 2000, up 125 percent from the 2.2 gallons consumed in 1990. Annual per capita consumption of bottled water now stands at 18.3 gallons, up from 12.1 gallons in 1995. If current projections hold true, in 2004 bottled water will become the second-most consumed beverage, surpassing beer, coffee and milk (measure does not include public water).

Current bottled water product categories include well, spring, sparkling, purified, mineral, drinking and artesian waters. Bottled water is subject to a number of stringent federal, state and industry regulations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water as a packaged food product By law, FDA's bottled water standard must be at least as stringent as the EPA standards for tap water.