What are you paying for when you buy bottled water? The image of pristine glaciers and crystal clear springs comes to mind. But the truth is, bottled water is hardly ever purer, healthier, or safter than tap water. Ironically, bottled water is often just tap water in a bottle. One "spring water" brand with lake and mountains on the label in reality was taken from a well in an industrial parking lot. It was close to a hazardous waste dump and was sporadically tested with industrial chemical levels above Food and Drug Administration standards.

Twenty years ago, bottled water was a non-existant industry. Today, North Americans are downing 1000 billion gallons a year. This phenomenon is a result of public concern over water safety with a little help from a multi-million dollar advertising campaign launched by the bottled water industry. Bottled water sales tripled in the last decade alone. Water is now the fastest growing and most profitable segment of the beverage industry.

Their marketing efforts haven