In defense of bottled water.

• Position: Letter to the editor

David Barsamian's interview with Maude Barlow in the December 2008 issue of The Progressive raises some provocative issues and ideas about water. However, some of Barlow's statements about bottled water are flatly incorrect and require clarification.

Barlow says the success of bottled water is due to companies using marketing hype to promote an image of bottled water being healthy and "cool." In fact, the bottled water industry spends very little compared to other beverage manufacturers on marketing advertising (just $52 million collectively in 2006, compared to the $637 million spent on advertising for carbonated soft drinks and the $1 billion spent to advertise beer). Bottled water is a healthy beverage choice, and any attempts to discourage consumers from drinking it are not in the public interest.

Drinking water is a good thing, whether from the tap or the bottle. It's not a bottled water versus tap water issue. Bottled water competes with other beverages in bottles--such as carbonated sodas, juices, and teas--that are consumed in a variety of settings: movie theaters, sports stadiums, special events, cars, airplanes, as well as at home and in the office. Obesity and diabetes rates are at a record high in the United States, and we were shocked to read Barlow's suggestion that drinking from a bottle of water is as "uncool" as blowing cigarette smoke in a person's face.

We are equally surprised that Barlow, a United Nations senior advisor on water issues, is not aware that bottled water is comprehensively and stringently regulated in the U.S. at both the federal and state levels to ensure safety and quality (she states it's unregulated and may not be as safe as tap water). In fact, bottled water must meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) general food regulations as well as standards of identity, standards of quality, good manufacturing practices, and labeling requirements specific to bottled water. Moreover, federal law requires that the FDA regulations for bottled water be as protective of the public health as the Environmental Protection Agency standards for tap water.

On the issue of recycling, the bottled water industry, along with other food product manufacturers, has taken steps to reduce its environmental footprints, including developing industry partnerships to promote better consumer recycling habits. All single-serve PET plastic bottles are 100 percent recyclable and should be disposed of properly by placing them...