#it was mineral water brands like perrier and evian

[chamomileteainabuttercup]

#i did back out a fic once#because it had a whole multi-paragraph thing#about eddie munson making himself beans on toast for breakfast#and it's like yeaaaaaaah no#we don't do that here

Now I will imagine Eddie Munson pretentiously making himself beans on toast for breakfast because he idolises British heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden and has a personal theory that beans on toast are the source of their powers

I feel like Eddie spent at least one month at some point trying to speak with a generically working-class British accent out of hero worship

he sounded like Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins

[glassbottledwater]

Are there any reputable brands of spring water available nearby?

Introduction

Spring water is highly valued for its natural origin and health benefits. Unlike tap water, which is processed and treated, spring water is collected directly from a natural source where water flows to the surface from an underground aquifer. This unique origin provides spring water with a distinct taste and a variety of minerals beneficial to health.

What is Spring Water?

Definition and Origin

Spring water is defined as water that naturally flows to the earth's surface from an underground source. This water often undergoes a natural filtration process as it travels through layers of rock and soil, which contributes to its purity and mineral content.

Natural Filtration Process

The natural journey of spring water through geological formations removes impurities and adds beneficial minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This process enhances the water's taste and nutritional value.

Health Benefits

Drinking spring water can support hydration, provide essential minerals, and promote overall well-being. The minerals found in spring water can help maintain electrolyte balance, support bone health, and improve skin condition.

Reputable Spring Water Brands

Bear Springs

Evian

Fiji Water

San Pellegrino

Perrier

Volvic

Local Spring Water Brands

In addition to these international brands, many regions have local spring water brands that offer fresh, high-quality water. These brands often source their water from nearby springs, ensuring a short distance from source to bottle, which can enhance freshness and sustainability.

Finding Spring Water Near You

Checking Local Retailers

Many supermarkets and grocery stores carry a selection of spring water brands. Check the beverage aisle or the health food section for options. Some stores may also carry local spring water brands.

Online Purchase Options

Online retailers like Bear Springs, Amazon, Walmart, and specialty beverage websites offer a wide range of spring water brands. Ordering online can provide access to both popular international brands and local favorites.

Direct from the Source

Some spring water companies offer delivery services directly from their springs. This option ensures you receive the freshest water possible and often supports sustainable practices.

Environmental Impact

Sustainable Practices

Many spring water brands are committed to sustainable sourcing and production practices. This includes protecting the natural springs, using renewable energy in production, and minimizing water wastage.

Eco-Friendly Packaging

Brands are increasingly adopting eco-friendly packaging solutions, such as recyclable bottles and biodegradable materials, to reduce their environmental footprint. Consumers can also contribute by recycling bottles and choosing brands with sustainable practices.

Comparing Spring Water to Other Types

Tap Water

Tap water is treated and processed by municipal systems to meet safety standards. While safe to drink, it may contain chlorine or other additives that can affect taste and purity.

Distilled Water

Distilled water is purified through boiling and condensation, removing minerals and impurities. It is often used for medical purposes and in appliances, but it lacks the beneficial minerals found in spring water.

Mineral Water

Mineral water comes from natural springs and contains a higher concentration of minerals than spring water. While both provide health benefits, mineral water may offer a more robust taste due to its mineral content.

Frequently Asked Questions About Spring Water

Q. What is the difference between spring water and mineral water?

A. Spring water comes from an underground source and is naturally filtered, whereas mineral water contains higher levels of minerals and often undergoes additional processing to enhance its mineral content.

Q. How can I ensure the spring water I buy is authentic?

A. Look for certification or quality seals on the packaging, research the brand's source, and read reviews. Authentic spring water brands will provide detailed information about their source and production process.

Q. Is spring water better than tap water?

A. Spring water is often preferred for its natural taste and mineral content. However, tap water is safe to drink and may be more environmentally friendly due to reduced packaging and transportation.

Q. Are there any health risks associated with spring water?

A. Spring water is generally safe to drink. However, it is essential to choose reputable brands that adhere to safety standards to avoid contamination risks.

Q. What are the benefits of drinking spring water?

A. Drinking spring water provides hydration and essential minerals, which can support overall health, improve skin condition, and maintain electrolyte balance.

Q. How should spring water be stored?

A. Store spring water in a cool, dark place, away from direct sunlight. Ensure the bottle is sealed tightly to prevent contamination and maintain freshness.

Conclusion

Choosing a reputable brand of spring water ensures you receive the best quality and taste while supporting sustainable practices. Whether you opt for international favorites like Bear Springs, Evian and Fiji or explore local options, spring water offers a refreshing and healthful choice.

[clearpani]

Top 10 Drinking Water Brands in 2024: A Comprehensive Review

Staying hydrated is more essential than ever, and with an abundance of drinking water brands available, choosing the right one can be daunting. Here's a comprehensive review of the top 10 drinking water brands in 2024, highlighting their unique qualities, sources, and benefits.

1. Evian

Evian remains a top choice in 2024, sourced from the pristine French Alps. Renowned for its natural mineral composition and balanced pH, Evian water is celebrated for its purity and health benefits. The brand's commitment to sustainability through eco-friendly packaging continues to attract environmentally conscious consumers.

2. Fiji Water

Fiji Water, sourced from an underground aquifer in Viti Levu, Fiji, offers a distinctive mineral profile and smooth taste. Its silica content is beneficial for skin and hair health. The brand emphasizes its untouched quality and exotic origin, making it a luxurious choice.

3. Voss

Voss is known for its stylish glass bottles and pure, crisp taste. Sourced from an artesian well in Norway, Voss water is naturally filtered through layers of sand and rock, ensuring exceptional purity. Its minimalist design and high-quality product make it a favorite among premium water brands.

4. Smartwater

Smartwater, a product of Coca-Cola, is vapor-distilled for purity and infused with electrolytes for a clean, crisp taste. The brand has gained popularity for its sleek packaging and the addition of vital minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which enhance hydration and replenish electrolytes.

5. Perrier

Perrier, the sparkling mineral water from France, is cherished for its refreshing effervescence and distinct mineral content. Its natural carbonation and unique flavor profile have made it a staple in both casual and fine dining settings. Perrier continues to be a top choice for those seeking a fizzy alternative.

6. Clear Premium Water

Clear Premium Water is an emerging star in the bottled water market in 2024. Known for its exceptional purity and taste, Clear Premium Water is sourced from protected natural springs. The brand prides itself on its rigorous testing protocols and commitment to sustainability, using 100% recyclable packaging. Clear Premium Water is quickly gaining a reputation for providing high-quality hydration while maintaining environmental responsibility.

7. Dasani

Dasani, another prominent brand from Coca-Cola, offers purified water enhanced with minerals for a clean, fresh taste. Known for its consistency and accessibility, Dasani is a go-to option for many. The brand also focuses on sustainability with its PlantBottle packaging made from up to 30% plant-based materials.

8. Poland Spring

Poland Spring, sourced from natural springs in Maine, USA, boasts a rich history dating back to 1845. Its naturally occurring minerals provide a refreshing taste, and the brand’s dedication to preserving the environment through responsible sourcing and packaging is commendable.

9. Nestlé Pure Life

Nestlé Pure Life emphasizes quality and safety through a rigorous multi-step purification process. Its affordability and global presence make it accessible to a wide range of consumers. The brand also focuses on community hydration projects, enhancing its reputation as a socially responsible choice.

10. Aquafina

Aquafina, a widely recognized brand from PepsiCo, ensures high-quality purified water through a rigorous purification process that includes reverse osmosis. Its affordability and widespread availability make it a popular choice among consumers looking for reliable and safe drinking water.

Conclusion

The top 10 drinking water brands in 2024 offer a variety of options to meet different preferences and needs. Whether you priorities mineral content, purity, taste, or sustainability, there is a brand that aligns with your values. Staying hydrated is vital, and choosing the right water can enhance both your health and lifestyle.

[exactlystickytrash]

               Buy Packages Water Online at Best Prices | Buy Mineral Water & Soda | Frugivore

There are many different varieties of drinks that are available in the market, juices, cold drinks, health drinks, fruit beverages. We consume many of them on almost a daily basis. Delhi NCR and other Metropolitan cities have a huge shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables so they have to rely on fruit drinks which are available in the market, ready to consume fruit based drinks are plenty in the refrigerator of most shops in Delhi NCR region. Online shopping is a new age trend which has caught up with all of us, drinks like health dinks, juice and fruit based drinks, water and soda drinks, energy drinks, cold pressed juices are some of the type of drinks we offer online. Health drinks like complain and Horlicks are a huge demand in the Indian market, juices like Real and Tropicana are usually consumed with breakfast by majority of the people in metro cities like Delhi NCR, Drinks like Coconut water are also offered on our website for shopping online, coconut water is a drink which has wondrous properties for our body. Water and Soda also come under the category of drinks and are offered on our website, luxury brands like Perrier and Evian are hot favorites of people of metropolitan cities like Delhi NCR. Consumption of health drinks is also significant in Cities like Delhi NCR which has a large section of growing population. Usually in cities like Delhi NCR, In the hustle of a busy work schedule people often don’t get the time to sit and relax with a nice glass of cold fruit juice or a fresh fruit based drink, but instead choose to have packaged fruit juice or drinks which suits their needs. To grant the accessibility of delivering the juice anywhere, Frugivore resolves to upkeep the best quality of drinks and other products. Energy drinks are drinks with high sugar and caffeine content which are suited for people who wish to engage in endurance based tasks or need a quick jolt of energy, energy drinks serve just the purpose. They are consumed by people who have a heavy work load or have to stay up during long shifts and need the best of their attention, so energy drinks are a convenient alterative to fruit based drinks and juices in cities like Delhi NCR.

READ MORE...Grocery Online | Online Grocery Shopping in Delhi NCR | Frugivore

[luckystorein22]

Is there any difference between different brands of mineral/bottled waters like Evian, Perrier, etc.? If so what are they and how significant are they?

When it comes to quenching our thirst, there's an abundant array of mineral and bottled water brands to choose from. From the iconic Evian to the bubbly Perrier, each brand claims to offer a unique and refreshing experience. But have you ever wondered if there are any significant differences among these brands? In this article, we'll delve into the variations between popular mineral/bottled water brands and explore their significance.

Source of Water: One of the primary factors that differentiate various brands of mineral/bottled waters is the source of water they use. Each brand carefully selects specific natural springs or aquifers, resulting in variations in taste and mineral content. For instance, Evian originates from the pristine French Alps, while Perrier sources its water from a naturally carbonated spring in Vergèze, France.

Mineral Composition: The mineral composition of water varies from brand to brand, giving each its distinct flavor profile. Some brands boast higher levels of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium, while others may have lower mineral content. These differences can impact the taste and potential health benefits associated with the water.

Carbonation: Another key differentiating factor is the carbonation level in bottled waters. While some brands offer still (non-carbonated) water, others provide varying levels of carbonation. Perrier, for example, is renowned for its effervescent bubbles, which add a unique texture and refreshing experience.

Filtration and Purification: The methods used for filtration and purification can vary among different brands. Some brands utilize advanced filtration techniques, such as reverse osmosis or distillation, to remove impurities and enhance the taste. Others might employ a simpler process, like micron filtration or ozonation. These variations in purification methods can influence the overall quality and clarity of the water.

Packaging and Sustainability: Packaging choices also play a role in differentiating brands. Some prioritize eco-friendly packaging materials, such as recyclable bottles or packaging made from renewable resources. Others focus on convenient packaging options, like smaller-sized bottles for on-the-go consumption.

Significance of Differences: The significance of these differences largely depends on personal preferences and individual needs. Some people might have a more refined palate and appreciate the subtle variations in taste, while others may prioritize the health benefits associated with specific mineral compositions. It's important to note that all reputable bottled water brands adhere to stringent quality standards to ensure the safety and purity of their products.

Conclusion: While various mineral/bottled water brands like Evian, Perrier, and others share the common purpose of hydrating and refreshing, there are notable differences that set them apart. Factors such as the water source, mineral composition, carbonation, filtration, and packaging choices contribute to a unique experience for each brand. Ultimately, the significance of these differences depends on individual preferences and requirements. So, the next time you reach for a bottle of water, take a moment to savor the distinctive qualities of your chosen brand and enjoy the refreshment it provides.

[canumoveurseatup-no]

Avengers as Different Water Brands

summary: HEADCANON TIME!!!!! time to put something new out to hold yall over while I work on the full fics!!

-----------

Tony: Voss water. because all the pretentious people in my town drink it and it just fits Tony.

Steve: Dasani because it looks good in a moment of thirst but then you drink it and it leaves a bad taste in your mouth like an unchanged brita filter.

Bucky: Fiji. it just looks like something he’d carry around in his hand simply because he saw a group of people drinking it and thought it was cool.

Sam: Nestle Pure Life. It reminds me of days on the beach with your family and your grandparents pack the cooler and bring this brand but it’s not a bad thing because it quenches your thirst quickly with a clean taste.

Natasha: Deer Park. Because it tastes like minerals and the chemicals from the cheap plastic and her character is like if you were to sit and eat a bag of rocks.

Clint: Smart Water. Tart. Thinks he’s cool but he’s like at the bottom of everyone’s list.

T’Challa: Mountain Valley Spring Water. His character is rejuvenating and he just looks like he tastes good. The kind to kill your thirsty easily because the drinkability is so high.

Thor: Evian. Because the electrolytes are so high and he can be a bit overbearing and. Worry of over hydrating.

Carol: Aquafina. Acidic, even though you can still drink it, it’s not quite... preferred.

Peter: Essentia. Because who doesn’t like a good alkalized water that’s good for you? 

Rhodey: JUST Water brand. He’s a refreshing character, always coming in with the needed comedy and logic. Good for the environment.

Wanda: Tap water. I like it, but only when I’m in the mood for it and kind of a last resort in some situations...

Vision: Muddy rain water. He pisses me off and reminds me of the water that gets in your crocs when you accidentally step in a puddle.

Scott: Propel. His character always brings a different flavor to the scene. Good to have if you want water but want a little *tongue pop*

Dr. Strange: Perrier. Seems like a good idea because it looks so fancy but then you taste the carbonation and realize it tastes like bricks. You don’t wanna finish the bottle but you don’t wanna waste it either since it’d be money wasted, so you try to either take sips or give it to someone who is naive to the flavor. Might even poor some down the drain then drink the rest that’s at the bottom to feel better about yourself.

Pietro: Crystal Geyser. kinda like his bad dye job... good if you’re on a budget.

Maria: Blk Water. Looks intimidating but kinda just like other water. Nothing special.

Fury: Liquid Death. Looks scary because of the name but then you drink it and find out it’s false advertisment.

-----------------

Hi, I hope this made yall laugh like it did with me when I wrote it!

Like, comments and reblogs are always appreciated!!

tags: @blackreaders-assemble​ @babybubastis​ @mbaku-babygirl​ @yournonlocalpoc​ @spideys-wife​ @vozit​ @chonisberonica​ @curlyhairclub​ @mokacoconut​ @unicornslothfish​ @warmchick​ @huh-i-guess​ @here-for-your-bullshit​ @plussizedwriter​ @crawlingnightmares​ @valentinevirgo​ @joyofbebbanburg​ @iamzion-therealhabesha​ @retroxvailles​ @champangebucky​ @sambucky8​ @princess-toshii​ @sebbyslut​ @titty-teetee​ @ilovefanfic86​ @valkyriesnymph​ @dumbchick​ @veryhellshdia​ @persephones24​ @xye-weirdo​ @disaster-rose​ @micki-smiles​ @hisxblackxqueen​

[diygabl]

A GUIDE TO PROPER HYDRATION

Water is the main component of our bodies. In fact, the human body is approx 70% water. Certain body structures are made up of more or less water than others. For example, the brain is approx 85% water, whereas the bones are 10-15%. Water also plays a major role in almost ALL bodily systems and functions. Water is needed to:

Transport nutrients and oxygen into cells

Moisturize the air in our lungs

Help with our metabolism

Protect our organs

Help our organs absorb nutrients better

Protect and moisturize our joints and muscles

Help with detoxification

Regulate body temperature

Aid in brain and neurological functions

Are you drinking half your body weight?

Daily recommended consumption of water should be half your body weight in ounces. For example, A 200 lb person should drink approx. 100 oz of water. The recommendation of drinking half your body weight DOES NOT include items like coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks, sports drinks, etc.  Most of these drinks have excess sugar and stimulants that can have detrimental effects on our bodies.  If you do any physically demanding work (i.e. laborer or working out), or work in excessively hot areas (i.e. factories or outside during the summer), even more water may be needed to maintain adequate hydration levels.  If you find yourself going to the bathroom more frequently after trying this, it is normal. Just give your body some more time to adapt.

Try adding a small pinch of organic sea salt (just enough that you don’t even taste it). This will help your body retain more water.  Another tip, try drinking a glass of water and waiting 15 minutes before eating a snack. Dehydration can often mask as hunger.  If you are still hungry after 15 minutes, then maybe try a eating snack.  Also, try drinking your water closer to room temperature.  This will allow the water to be absorbed quicker into your system.  When you drink cold water, it can stay in your stomach longer until it is warmed up.

How do we know if we are dehydrated?

Side effects of being dehydrated:

Tiredness

Migraines

Constipation

Cramps

Irregular blood pressure

Kidney problems

Dry skin

Death (around approx.. 20% dehydration)

Most common symptoms:

Dark urine (dark yellow or orange)

Dry skin

Thirst (dry mouth and lips)

Hunger

Fatigue

What are some of the benefits of drinking the appropriate amounts of water?

Drinking the appropriate amounts of water can help you lose weight.  It is a natural remedy for headaches and migraines.  It can help make your skin look and feel younger and healthier.  It can help to boost work productivity by keeping you more alert and more concentrated.  It will improve your ability to exercise.  It aids with digestion and elimination.  It helps decrease the chances of cramps, sprains, and strains in our muscles and joints.  It helps with the prevention of getting sick.  It also helps with relieving fatigue and soreness.  It has also been shown to play a major role in the reduction in the risk of cancer.

If you don’t like the taste of plain water, here are some ways to add some flavor. Add real fruits, herbs, and spices rather than the artificial stuff that damages our bodies.  Such as:

Lemons, Limes or Cucumbers

Mint or Sage leaves

Rosemary Stems

Apples and Cinnamon

Strawberries, Blackberries or Cherries  

Watermelon or Pomegranates

Pineapples or Pears  

What’s the deal with bottled water?

Ideally, store your water in glass containers, especially if they are in hot and/or sunny areas.  The water can actually absorb chemicals out of plastic if heated too much. If you drink bottled water, I have listed below the top 10 rated bottled water brands due to being from natural sources.  I know they are more expensive, but as the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for”.

Voss Artesian Water

Saint Geron Mineral Water

Hildon Natural Mineral Water

Evian Natural Spring Water

Fiji Natural Artesian Water

Gerolsteiner Mineral Water

Ferrarelle Naturally Sparkling Mineral Water

Perrier Mineral Water

Mountain Valley Spring Water

Volvic Natural Spring Water

Resource: http://ihhp.org

[watercooleradvicestar62-blog]

Natural Mineral Water Market in India: Spring Time Ahead

The particular Indian bottled water industry has witnessed an unprecedented growth in recent years, owing to the improvement in living standards of the center class and a significant increase in their disposable incomes. Using the increase in awareness about health benefits of natural mineral water, this particular segment of bottled water industry is going to take major stand in arriving decade. According to recent research, Indian Natural Mineral Water sector was worth Rs 187 Cr during 2009 -10 and growing at CAGR of 21%, which will mix Rs 10 billion mark in current decade. Typically the increasing awareness about health consciousness and health benefits from the natural mineral water along with the rise in purchasing power among the American indian consumers will speed up the growth of natural mineral water current market in near future. Based on cost, the formal mineral water cooler business in India is broadly divided into three sections: premium natural mineral water, natural mineral water and packaged moving water. The origin and processing of different types of bottled water makes them pretty many in content and taste. Particularly the natural mineral water is actually priced with premium and positioned as premium markets segment currently shared and dominated by leading American native indians food and beverages companies like TATA, Bisleri India Pvt. Ltd, Sheelpe Enterprise, Luthra Water Systems Pvt Limited, DS group, Narang Group etc as well as well known brought in international brands like Evian, Perrier, San Pellegrino. Most of Indian players are sourcing natural water from Himalayan Mountain range, mostly bottled at source without any additional treatment. The industry is regulated by Beauro of Native american indian standards under IS 13428: 2005. Currently 2721 permit have been granted for packaged drinking water and 17 with regard to packaged natural mineral water as per Beauro of Indian Requirements. Among which one is for foreign brand i. e. Evian, 1 from Gujarat, 11 from Himachal Pradesh, one from Uttar Pradesh and 3 from Uttrakhand. Thinking about the growth state of the market, low entry barriers and also realizing the hidden market potential, sooner or later the competition will be stiff in this segment of bottled water market, however the strength will not be as that of the packaged mineral water segment. This particular segment requires quality product with good distribution system and brand image which makes bit difficult for new competitor to stay in the battle field. Generally the existing players within this segment are serving in region specific market along with competing with each other. Only few giant food and beverages businesses like TATA and Bisleri with their added advantage of broad distribution network and brand name takes on challenge to provide all over India. Bisleri being the market leader in water in bottles is also enjoying the leading position with its Vedica brand throughout natural mineral water segment capturing highest market share where as TATA's Himalayan stands second. Only these two brands have skillet India market presence. Gujarat based Aava and Maharashtra based Mulshi spring with considerable market share holds powerful market presence in western India. For the natural mineral water, 90% of sales comprises from the institutional sales and only 10% from retails sales. Among the leading gamers all are expecting annual average sales growth of around 10% in the coming year considering market driving factors for example increase in awareness about natural mineral water and its health benefits, upsurge in high profile customers who prefers to buy only premium natural standard water and increase in air travelers. Also Indian hotel market is growing at fast pace. As per the leading players, increases with awareness about natural mineral will definitely have positive impact within the growth of the Industry, concluded in the said research. Western portion of India occupies 41% chunk of the total market. Especially western states Gujarat and Maharashtra have high usage of natural mineral water; also the leading players like Vedica, Himalayan, Aava & Qua have strong market presence in the area. For any new players there will be tough competition in traditional western part of India. "Though market is growing at considerable price, still opportunities are available for innovation in marketing strategy specifically around promotion and distribution strategy to harness the full potential of the segment of bottled water market which will ultimately lead to sector growth with fast pace and may capture 50% share associated with industry size in coming years. " Said Azaz Motiwala, a renowned Marketing Expert. Also future promote potential can be harnessed by the leading players with the escalation in the number of high end consumers as Indian consumer becoming much more heath conscious and is now known as spender than savings as it was earlier.

[sporadicwinnersong]

A glass apart: Rs 65 lakh for a litre of water

A glass apart: Rs 65 lakh for a litre of water

Mohit Bhatia, Prerna Bhatia and Ashish Bhatia of Malaki. In a month since its soft launch in India, the company has sold 3,000 units of its gold water

India is opening up to the luxe version of the humblest of drinks—water

Would you pay ₹65 lakh for a single litre of water?

American company Beverly Hills is set to introduce India to its uber-luxe brand of water—the Beverly Hills 9OH2O Luxury Collection, Diamond Edition. Designed by Mario Padilla, jeweller to Hollywood stars, each limited-edition bottle features a white-gold cap, set with more than 600 G/VS-grade white diamonds and about 250 black diamonds.

The bottle comes encased in a custom box set, complete with four engraved Baccarat crystal tumblers. “Beverly Hills 9OH2O is superior spring water from the California mountains and the first ever water product to capture the best of everything: Taste, health, design, and experience,” says Martin Riese, a leading global water sommelier and part of Beverly Hills 9OH2O’s team of experts. “Its exquisite design is made of the highest quality material and captures the classic elegance and glimmering vitality of Beverly Hills, California. We’re looking for new distribution partners and would love to come to India.”

The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, and aims to launch in India later this year.

Beverly Hills isn’t the only one toasting to the country’s new-fangled want for a stylish sip. A market once dominated by Evian and Perrier is now seeing a pulse of activity. Mumbai-based Malaki, a retailer for gourmet food and beverages (F&B), had a soft launch for the Malaki Luxury Water—which comes swimming in edible 24-karat gold flakes—in May. In November 2017, IRIIS Food, an e-store for premium F&B imports, introduced a natural, black-coloured water. Blk, a Los Angeles-based product, comes pumped with fulvic minerals and antioxidants that turn the water naturally dark and alkaline, giving it various healthy properties.

An older entrant is Finnish water brand Veen, which has been in India since 2014. Packaged in swanky glass bottles, the brand has partnered with most major hotel chains and many premium restaurants across the country, making India its largest global market. 

According to market research firm Mintel, the Indian market for packaged drinking water was valued at ₹87.86 billion in 2017 and is estimated to reach ���109.84 billion in 2018. Bottled water in India grew at 19 percent between 2016 and 2017—outpacing all other global markets.

There’s an increased willingness among consumers to pay for premium bottled water, says Alex Beckett, associate director, food and drink, at Mintel. “India has a fragmented and comparatively unregulated bottled water market, but big, global companies appear keen to expand their presence in the country.”

While a 500-ml bottle of Bisleri costs ₹10, prices for premium water can go up to ₹300 for the same quantity. The gold-infused Malaki water retails at ₹599 for 375 ml.

Pots of gold

In a month since its soft launch, Malaki has sold 3,000 units of its gold water, retailed exclusively at Mumbai and Delhi’s international airports. In August, the product will see a full-fledged launch and will be available for retail, at fine-dine establishments.

“In the olden days, people used to put water in gold canisters to derive health benefits,” says Ashish Bhatia, founder of Malaki. “This is a modern extension of that philosophy, and we’re the first Asian brand to introduce such a product.”

The 24-karat edible gold flakes are imported from Dubai, where Malaki has a head office, but the water is bottled in Mumbai. The liquid is purified and neutralised in the city.

Gold-charged water is said to help with asthma, arthritis and skin ailments, and increase stamina and relaxation. “It has several benefits,” says Bhatia. “It makes for a great gift, especially for those who do not consume alcohol.”

The idea came after Malaki tasted success with some of its bestselling products, a range of luxury teas. “Tea is the second-most consumed beverage in India—the first is water,” says Bhatia. “We were keen to enter the water market, but not in a run-of-the-mill fashion. That’s how the luxury gold water was born.”

Malaki will soon also introduce a variety of alkaline water. Two new variants are at the research stage, including hydrogen water.

Dikshit Jhanb, director of Blk in India, admits that the brand’s premium alkaline water product is for fit and rich people

The Dark Side

According to Dikshit Jhanb, director of Blk in India, many health concerns, especially in India, stem from poor digestion. “Diseases are more likely to occur in bodies that are acidic. Cancers spread quicker in such an environment too,” says Jhanb. “Indian food is inherently oily and acid-inducing, so we were keen to introduce alkaline water in the country.”

Blk is a premium alkaline water brand sourced from Los Angeles. It is available in 17 international markets.

While regular drinking water has a pH level that hovers around 6 that of Blk water is 8.8+, making it alkaline. A pH of 7 is considered neutral.

It is naturally black; the liquid looks like a cola, but tastes just like regular water. Purified alkaline water forms the base of Blk, sourced from multiple locales, including springs and aquifiers in the US and Canada. This water is alkaline at the source and flows through plant roots that contain fulvic minerals. These minerals give it its dark shade. Blk water contains 77 naturally-occurring trace minerals, trace elements, amino acids and electrolytes. No additional dyes or colours are added in the water.

A 500-ml bottle of the black water is priced at ₹260. “To be honest, it is a product for fit people and rich people,” says Jhanb. “However, a bottle of Blk in London costs £3.30 (approximately ₹300), so it is cheaper in India.”

Blk has been spotted with stars such as Kendall Jenner and Paris Hilton. In India, it’s been endorsed by Indian skipper Virat Kohli, actors Aayush Sharma and Ronit Roy, among others. It retails at the Hyatt hotels, at premium food stores such as Foodhall and at the Delhi and Mumbai airports.

“The response has been tremendous; we have more than 80 customers who subscribe to Blk for home delivery every day,” says Jhanb. “The biggest challenge has been to create awareness about the benefits of going alkaline, and getting people used to the colour of the water.”

Alkaline water, he adds, is not a replacement for regular water; adding one bottle of it a day can help reverse acidity.

Malaki will also introduce an alkaline water soon, with a proposed pH of up to 9.5. This water will be sourced from the Brahmaputra river originating at the Angsi Glacier located in Tibet and flowing into Assam, where the company has a processing plant. The water is made alkaline by passing it through a mineral bed and having it undergo the process of ionisation. “Alkaline speeds up the hydration process,” says Bhatia.

Bhatia’s sister and Malaki’s marketing director Prerna Bhatia, a yoga teacher, encountered alkaline water while travelling. “A friend suggested it and I noticed it helped me last longer during a workout and feel less sore,” she says. “We decided we must introduce it in India.”

Malaki’s alkaline water will be priced at ₹60 for a 500-ml bottle and ₹40 for the same on the subscription plan. It is likely to launch in August.

                             Veen is nicknamed the ‘Michelin-star water’, says its India sales head, Ganesh Iyer

Bottles Up

Veen is a Finnish brand that is majority-owned by an Indian, Aman Gupta, based out of Munich. It entered India in 2014 to fill the market gap for premium-packaged glass bottles. “Plastic will never look as classy as glass does,” says Ganesh Iyer, sales head for Veen in India.

Veen, he says, is nicknamed the ‘Michelin-star water’ since it is served at a host of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world. “Aside from the visual difference, glass is much safer to use than plastic and can be easily recycled and reused. Moreover, water doesn’t react with glass in heat or humidity as it does with plastic,” he says.

The liquid is heavy mineral water sourced in Bhutan. “Bhutan is the world’s first carbon-negative country, so the water is absolutely pristine,” he adds. “Most water available in India is from the Himalayan belt, with few differentiators. Many varieties sourced from Himachal Pradesh, for instance, have high nitrate values because of the growing number of factories around.”

Growing at 53 percent year-on-year and present in 38 cities, India is now Veen’s largest global market. “In the West, where local tap water is clean, people are unwilling to pay for water. In China, there’s a lot of competition from other brands with deep pockets,” Iyer says. “The route to market in India is difficult, but once you’re in, you have a ready audience. Moreover, coming to India from our plant in Bhutan is easier than going to China.”

A 660-ml bottle of Veen still water is priced at ₹350 while sparkling is ₹450. Hotels can mark up the prices slightly.

In six to 10 months, Veen is likely to launch a range of craft mixers—ginger ale, bitter lemon, club soda and tonic water—along with a line of ayurveda waters, enhanced with amla, ginger and turmeric. These products are already available in Veen’s other markets.

Testing the Waters

“Some of the differentiators such as 24K gold tap into existing belief systems like ayurveda, so consumer trial might be high,” says Kiran Khalap, co-founder and managing director of marketing agency Chlorophyll. “In economies like ours, existing products often get repurposed into luxury items and cater to those who have no avenues left to splurge on. I remember paan being sold for ₹450 in Nagpur.”

The packaging may be the invitation card, he adds, but the proof will be the product itself.

“There is some scientific base to this, but more research is needed,” says Anjali Mukherjee, nutritionist and founder-director, Health Total. “Alkaline water, for instance, is desirable—rich in minerals and oxygen; it may help expedite their journey towards better health and support in removing toxic waste. However, a body’s acidity is due to various factors. Lifestyle diseases are complex and no single product can easily fix them.”

#MohnishAhluwaliaNotes

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2Atz8UI

[filtration-products]

Nestlé Makes Billions Bottling Water It Pays Nearly Nothing For – The Water Filter Lady’s Blog

The company’s operation in Michigan reveals how it’s dominated the industry by going into economically depressed areas with lax water laws.

In rural Mecosta County, Mich., sits a near-windowless facility with a footprint about the size of Buckingham Palace. It’s just one of Nestlé’s roughly 100 bottled water factories in 34 countries around the world. Inside, workers wear hairnets, hard hats, goggles, gloves, and earplugs. Ten production lines snake through the space, funneling local spring water into 8-ounce to 2.5-gallon containers; most of the lines run 24/7, each pumping out 500 to 1,200 bottles per minute. About 60 percent of the supply comes from Mecosta’s springs and arrives at the factory via a 12-mile pipeline. The rest is trucked in from neighboring Osceola County, about 40 miles north. “Daily, we’re looking at 3.5 million bottles potentially,” says Dave Sommer, the plant’s 41-year-old manager, shouting above the din.

Silos holding 125 tons of plastic resin pellets provide the raw material for the bottles. They’re molded into shape at temperatures reaching 400F before being filled, capped, inspected, labeled, and laser-printed with the location, day, and minute they were produced—a process that takes less than 25 seconds. Next, the bottles are bundled, shrink-wrapped onto pallets, and picked up by a fleet of 25 forklifts that ferry them to the plant’s warehouse or loading docks. As many as 175 trucks arrive every day to transport the water to retail locations in the Midwest. “We want more people to drink water, keep hydrated,” Sommer says. “It would be nice if it were my water, but we just want them to drink water.”

Water bottles in motion at the Nestlé Ice Mountain facility in Stanwood, Mich.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRENDAN GEORGE KO FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Nestlé SA started bottling in 1843 when company founder Henri Nestlé purchased a business on Switzerland’s Monneresse Canal. “Ever the curious scientist, [he] analyzed and experimented with the enrichment of water with a variety of minerals, always with a singular goal: to provide healthy, accessible, and delicious refreshment,” reads Nestlé’s website. Today there are thousands of bottled water companies worldwide—there’s even Trump Ice��but Nestlé is the biggest globally in terms of sales, followed by Coca-Cola, Danone, and PepsiCo, according to Euromonitor International. Nestlé Waters, the Paris-based subsidiary, owns almost 50 brands, including Perrier, S.Pellegrino, and Poland Spring.

Last year, U.S. bottled water sales reached $16 billion, up nearly 10 percent from 2015, according to Beverage Marketing Corp. They outpacedsoda sales for the first time as drinkers continue to seek convenience and healthier options and worry about the safety of tap water after the high-profile contamination in Flint, Mich., about a two-hour drive from Mecosta. Nestlé alone sold $7.7 billion worth worldwide, with more than $343 million of it coming from Michigan, where the company bottles Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water and Pure Life, its purified water line.

The Michigan operation is only one small part of Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company. But it illuminates how Nestlé has come to dominate a controversial industry, spring by spring, often going into economically depressed municipalities with the promise of jobs and new infrastructure in exchange for tax breaks and access to a resource that’s scarce for millions. Where Nestlé encounters grass-roots resistance against its industrial-strength guzzling, it deploys lawyers; where it’s welcome, it can push the limits of that hospitality, sometimes with the acquiescence of state and local governments that are too cash-strapped or inept to say no. There are the usual costs of doing business, including transportation, infrastructure, and salaries. But Nestlé pays little for the product it bottles—sometimes a municipal rate and other times just a nominal extraction fee. In Michigan, it’s $200.

A bridge at sunset in Evart, Mich.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRENDAN GEORGE KO FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

The Romans were among the first to see water as more than a basic need. They ranked theirs by taste; Aqua Marcia, from a spring about 60 miles outside of Rome, was among the best. In the 19th century, some of the first mass-market brands were S.Pellegrino and Vittel, now owned by Nestlé, and Evian, a Danone label. Sales were driven by taste, as well as the age-old notion that the mineral contents are therapeutic, curing ailments from hangovers to kidney stones. But mineral water consumption in America cratered in the early 20th century in part because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made it harder to tout medicinal benefits without expensive testing.

Today, Americans often drink bottled water for what they hope is not in it. Fears about what comes out of the tap aren’t completely unfounded; 77 million Americans are served by water systems that violate testing requirements or rules about contamination in drinking water, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. In agriculture-heavy regions, pesticides, fertilizers, and nitrates from animal waste leach into the ground. Despite the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, compliance with harmful chemical restrictions isn’t monitored carefully, and most wastewater-treatment systems aren’t designed to remove hormones, antidepressants, and other drugs. The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency is also attempting to roll back existing regulations. That said, bottled water isn’t necessarily more pure than tap. In the U.S., municipalities with 2.5 million or more people are required to test their supply dozens of times each day, whereas those with fewer than 50,000 customers must test for certain contaminants 60 times per month. Bottled water companies aren’t required to monitor their reserve or report contamination, although Nestlé says it tests its water hourly.

There’s also the issue of scarcity. The United Nations expects that 1.8 billion people will live in places with dire water shortages by 2025, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under stressed water conditions. Supply may be compromised in the U.S., too. A recent Michigan State University study predicts that more than a third of Americans might not be able to afford their water bills in five years, with costs expected to triple as World War II-era construction breaks down.

Failing infrastructure has already led to a near-total reliance on bottled water in parts of the world. Nestlé started selling Pure Life in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1998 to “provide a safe, quality water solution,” the company says. But locals wonder if the Swiss multinational is exacerbating the problem. “Twenty years ago, you could go anywhere in Lahore and get a glass of clean tap water for free,” says Ahmad Rafay Alam, an environmental lawyer in the country. “Now, everyone drinks bottled water.” He adds that this change has taken the pressure off the government to fix its utilities, degrading the quality of Lahore’s supply: “What Nestlé did is use a good marketing scheme to make tap water uncool and dangerous. It’s ubiquitous, like Kleenex. People will say, ‘Give me a bottle of Nestlé.’ ”

Nestlé has been preparing for shortages for decades. The company’s former chief executive officer, Helmut Maucher, said in a 1994 interview with the New York Times: “Springs are like petroleum. You can always build a chocolate factory. But springs you have or you don’t have.” His successor, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, who retired recently after 21 years in charge, drew criticism for encouraging the commodification of water in a 2005 documentary, saying: “One perspective held by various NGOs—which I would call extreme—is that water should be declared a human right. … The other view is that water is a grocery product. And just as every other product, it should have a market value.” Public outrage ensued. Brabeck-Letmathe says his comments were taken out of context and that water is a human right. He later proposed that people should have free access to 30 liters per day, paying only for additional use.

Compared with the water needs of agriculture and energy production, the bottled water business is barely responsible for a trickle; in Michigan, it accounts for less than 1 percent of total water usage, according to Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). But it rankles many because the natural resource gets hauled out of local watersheds for private profit, not used in the service of feeding people or keeping their lights on. There’s also, of course, the issue of plastic pollution.

In the U.S., Nestlé tends to set up shop in areas with weak water regulations or lobbies to enfeeble laws. States such as Maine and Texas operate under a remarkably lax rule from the 1800s called “absolute capture,” which lets landowners take all the groundwater they want. Michigan, New York, and other states have stricter laws, allowing “reasonable use,” which means property owners can extract water as long as it doesn’t unreasonably affect other wells or the aquifer system. Laws vary even within states. New Hampshire is a reasonable-use state, but in 2006, the municipality of Barnstead became the first nationwide to ban the pumping of its water for sale elsewhere.

Towns in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have turned away Nestlé. In Washington, the mayor of Waitsburg, Walt Gobel, resigned last year after it was revealed that he’d conducted secret talks with the company about building a $50 million plant. “The representatives asked for confidentiality of this proposal until they could determine the feasibility,” Gobel wrote in his resignation letter. Town leaders later voted to reject Nestlé’s advances.

Water tower in Evart.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRENDAN GEORGE KO FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Elsewhere, Nestlé has largely prevailed against opposition. In Fryeburg, Maine, it took the company four years to successfully appeal a zoning board resolution to build a facility it said it needed for its Poland Spring line. Last year it gained rights to extract water for the next 20 years—and perhaps 25 more after that. In San Bernardino, Calif., Nestlé has long paid the U.S. Forest Service an annual rate of $524 to extract about 30 million gallons, even during droughts. “Our public agencies have dropped the ball,” says Peter Gleick, co-founder of the Pacific Institute, which focuses on water issues. “Every gallon of water that is taken out of a natural system for bottled water is a gallon of water that doesn’t flow down a stream, that doesn’t support a natural ecosystem,” he says.

Nestlé isn’t the only bottled water company operating in Michigan, but it’s the most controversial. Pepsi and Coca-Cola bottle municipal water from Detroit for their Aquafina and Dasani brands, respectively; they pay city rates, then sell the product back for profit. In Mecosta County, Nestlé sucks up spring water directly from the source, which water conservationists say does more damage to the flow of streams, rivers, and wetland ecology. Municipal supplies come from larger bodies of water, so massive depletions, they argue, have less of an impact. Nestlé’s chief of sustainability, Nelson Switzer, responds: “Water is a renewable resource. As long as you manage the area, water will flow in perpetuity.”

Nestlé purchased Ice Mountain from Pepsi in 2000 and moved the production facilities from the East Coast to mountain-less Mecosta. State and local officials appreciated the business and offered a $13 million, one-time tax break. When people found out that Nestlé was pumping water in their backyards, however, they formed an opposition group, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation. Spearheaded by retired librarians and teachers, the group added more than 2,000 members statewide, enlisted the land-and-water-rights lawyer Jim Olson, and filed a lawsuit to stop Nestlé.

The case dragged on for eight years and cost the group more than $1 million. To raise money, it charged membership fees and threw fundraisers. “Garage sales twice a year, Texas Hold ’em, raffles, a few grants from nonprofits,” says President Peggy Case, a retired schoolteacher who rigged her own water towers to irrigate the gardens on her 35-acre property.

In 2003 a judge ruled against Nestlé, saying that data documenting three years of extraction by the company showed a significant depletion of the area’s streams and wetlands. Nestlé appealed, and the case lasted six more years before the two parties settled in 2009. Nestlé would reduce pumping from 400 gallons per minute to 218, with further restrictions in spring and summer, which residents hoped would limit the environmental impact.

Even before the settlement, Nestlé had expanded its operation beyond Mecosta County to neighboring Osceola County. For access to municipal wells in the city of Evart and one nonmunicipal well nearby, the company promised to fund 14 acres of new softball fields, plus a bullpen and lockers, for the high school team. The school superintendent, Howard Hyde, told the Grand Rapids Press in March 2005: “I’m tickled. It’s like Christmas. Our current fields are pretty nice, but these are going to be better.”

More than 44 percent of Evart’s 1,500 residents live below the poverty line, according to Data USA. Officials were disappointed that Nestlé built its Ice Mountain plant in Mecosta, which cost the city 280 jobs, but they were grateful for the roughly $250,000 Nestlé pays Evart annually for its water. “[If they left], our services would decline,” says Zackary Szakacs, the city manager.

In addition to the softball fields, Nestlé has helped Evart finance other upgrades, including new well houses for its municipal water, parks, and a fairground that hosts a dulcimer festival in July. For decades the fairground was also home to Evart’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration, attended by as many as 10,000 locals. In 2015, Nestlé discovered contamination in the watershed from perchlorate in those fireworks. The likely carcinogen is banned at certain levels only in Massachusetts and California, which is why Evart hadn’t been testing for it. But because Nestlé sells in all 50 states, says Szakacs, none of its water can test positive for the chemical. The company has since stopped pumping from affected wells and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean them up.

Szakacs, Evart’s city manager.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRENDAN GEORGE KO FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

At 58, Szakacs has snow-white hair, a goatee, a gruff voice, and a love of fishing and Coors Light. A former policeman, he’d moved to Evart in 2006 to be chief. His office at Evart City Hall is within walking distance of the pumping station where a steady stream of 12,500-gallon trucks arrive each day to pick up water for the Ice Mountain factory. Szakacs isn’t worried about Evart’s springs. “Look, we’ve got plenty of water, more water than you can imagine,” he says. “We’ve got rivers, and streams, and fish—bass, trout.”

Last Halloween, however, Garret Ellison, an environmental reporter for MLive and the Grand Rapids Press, discovered that Nestlé had applied for a permit to more than double its pumping rate at the well near Evart, to 400 gallons per minute—the same rate that was ruled harmful in Mecosta. Anticipating approval, Nestlé had invested $36 million to build an 80,000-square-foot addition to its Ice Mountain plant and applied for another permit for a booster station to help pump the additional flow. Michigan’s DEQ had all but approved the application for the increased pumping rate without allowing for a period of public comment.

After Ellison’s story went live, the department received more than 1,100 emails in three days (the number is now 81,000). “It sent a shock wave through most communities in Michigan,” says Olson, the lawyer, who filed an injunction with the nonprofit rights group For Love of Water demanding that the department extend its comment period and release relevant documents for review. Nestlé now awaits a decision on whether it will be allowed to increase pumping at the well near Evart. In late July the DEQ asked the company to produce data showing that higher pumping rates wouldn’t damage the environment, numbers that Nestlé plans to submit on Sept. 29.

Arlene Anderson-Vincent, a natural resource manager for Nestlé, says the uptick won’t damage the ecosystem. “The water here is constantly being replenished, much more quickly than we can pump,” says Anderson-Vincent, who was born and raised in Michigan and got a bachelor’s degree in geology from Michigan State University while working at General Motors as a welder. Nestlé has collected 17 years’ worth of data evaluating groundwater levels and stream flow—and although, she concedes, the wetlands in Mecosta might not have withstood 400 gallons per minute, Evart’s can. “Every well is different,” she says.

Nestlé’s data doesn’t make “reliable assumptions about real world conditions,” says Olson. “We know our glacial soils in Michigan, and we know our vegetation. You can pretty much take the old case [in Mecosta] as a predictor” of environmental impact.

A trailer park in Evart.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRENDAN GEORGE KO FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

Six months after Ellison’s reporting, on a chilly evening in April, more than 500 people filed into a large auditorium at Ferris State University near the Ice Mountain plant. They’d come from all across Michigan to take part in the DEQ’s public hearing on Nestlé, but they had more on their mind than Evart. “We took a bus here from Flint because we’re tired of bottled water, tired of Nestlé, tired of them making a profit off of our disaster,” said Bernadel Jefferson, a pastor and activist who arrived with a dozen other protesters.

It’s impossible to talk about water in Michigan without raising the crisis in Flint. Beginning in 2014 thousands of families were exposed to dangerous levels of lead and bacteria in tap water. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder cut costs by switching the city’s water source, after which the state failed to properly treat the water with anticorrosives. An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease killed at least 12 people and led to manslaughter charges against five state and city officials. Snyder also tried, unsuccessfully, to block a federal court order forcing the state to deliver bottled water to residents. He argued that, at an estimated $10.5 million a month, it would be too costly, put more trucks on the road, and overwhelm Flint’s recycling system.

Nestlé is quick to point out that it has nothing to do with the water problems in Flint or elsewhere. “What happened in Flint, and what’s happening in other communities in the United States, is absolutely outrageous,” says Switzer, the sustainability chief. Nestlé even teamed up with Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi to donate 35,000 bottles per month to Flint residents—“for schoolchildren,” he says.

Case, president of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation.

PHOTOGRAPHER: BRENDAN GEORGE KO FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

But since the crisis, Flint residents have paid thousands of dollars to purchase bottled water for drinking, cooking, washing, and bathing. “Between 2005 and 2016, Nestlé has taken over 4 billion gallons of our water for pennies and sold it back to us for huge profits,” said Case, the opposition group president, the first of about 50 people to speak at the hearing. “Meanwhile, the people of Flint have been forced to use this bottled water for several years and are required to pay some of the highest water bills in the country for undrinkable water. The people of Detroit have experienced massive shutoffs since 2014, with up to 90,000 people shut off at times. If Detroiters could pay Nestlé rates, few would owe more than a dollar, and the majority would owe less than a dime.”

Case’s three-minute speech got a standing ovation. Onstage, two DEQ employees listened in silence. “F— the DEQ,” a man from Flint yelled into the microphone, holding up his middle fingers. Three hours later, past 10 p.m., the hearing ended. The DEQ employees shuffled offstage, refusing to comment.

Nestlé maintains that its subsidiary is a good steward of the land. An emailed statement from corporate headquarters says: “With a third of its factories already operating in water-stressed areas, water availability is and will increasingly be a major risk to Nestlé Waters. This is why water stewardship at both factory and watershed level remains an integral approach to our business strategy.”

Environmental activists counter that multinationals shouldn’t be in charge of protecting water. But these companies seem more poised to do so than some state and local officials. There’s even a Davos-style event called the World Water Forum, whose stated mission is to “put water firmly on the international agenda.” In March, 40,000 people are expected to convene in Brasilia, Brazil. The occasion isn’t without its critics. In an April blog post, water-rights activist Maude Barlow wrote, “It is a corporate trade show organized by the World Water Council—a multi-stakeholder consortium promoting solutions to the water crisis that serve the interests of multinational corporations.”

A tool for conservationists might be the public trust doctrine, which says natural resources belong to the public. The principle dates back at least 1,500 years; in 1215, it was invoked to prohibit the British Crown from transferring valuable fisheries to private lords because seabeds belonged to the people. David Zetland, author of Living With Water Scarcity, says governments must decide how much water they want to protect under the public trust doctrine and the rest should be divvied up on the open market. “Political allocation is usually corrupt,” he says. Olson doesn’t think a market is a good idea. “The poorest among us have the same rights and should enjoy the same basic access and enjoyment of water as the wealthiest,” he says.

Down a dirt road in Traverse City, about an hour’s drive from Evart, Case is standing in her garden, harvesting fat stalks of asparagus. A neighbor’s dog, a black-and-white mutt left with one eye after a porcupine run-in, follows her through the yard to the home she moved to from Detroit after retiring. “We grow a good portion of our food here for the entire year,” she says.

Case, echoing her comments at the Ferris State hearing, says she’ll keep fighting. “It has to do with the privatization of water and taking the people’s water and making a profit from it, an exorbitant profit, a ridiculous profit, when there are people with no water at all, or people with poisoned water,” she says. “We don’t believe water should be owned by anybody. It’s a public right.” Depending on how Michigan rules on Nestlé’s bid to pump more water in Evart, Case’s group may take legal action. How it will pay to challenge the Swiss conglomerate a second time, she doesn’t know. “We might,” she says, “end up back in bake sales.”

(Clarifies information about contamination in Evart’s watershed in the 22nd paragraph.)

SOURCE: http://ift.tt/2gcVjo2

Like this:

Like Loading…

Related

Summary of Filtration Products Website: Filtration Products internet site posts the most up to date announcements, research and separation techniques right from the separation trade. Filtration-Products keeps you familiar on treatment and all the related market advancements including string wound depth filtration, pleated elements, meltblown filtration, bag filters, reverse osmosis filters, from brands such as Omnioure engineered for liquid filtration, and anything else the separation biz has to disclose.

from Filtration Products http://ift.tt/2FpCSIG

[trendingnews-love]

Nestlé Makes Billions Bottling Water It Pays Nearly Nothing For

In rural Mecosta County, Mich., sits a near-windowless facility with a footprint about the size of Buckingham Palace. It’s just one of Nestlé’s roughly 100 bottled water factories in 34 countries around the world.

Inside, workers wear hairnets, hard hats, goggles, gloves, and earplugs. Ten production lines snake through the space, funneling local spring water into 8-ounce to 2.5-gallon containers; most of the lines run 24/7, each pumping out 500 to 1,200 bottles per minute. About 60 percent of the supply comes from Mecosta’s springs and arrives at the factory via a 12-mile pipeline. The rest is trucked in from neighboring Osceola County, about 40 miles north. “Daily, we’re looking at 3.5 million bottles potentially,” says Dave Sommer, the plant’s 41-year-old manager, shouting above the din.

Silos holding 125 tons of plastic resin pellets provide the raw material for the bottles. They’re molded into shape at temperatures reaching 400F before being filled, capped, inspected, labeled, and laser-printed with the location, day, and minute they were produced—a process that takes less than 25 seconds. Next, the bottles are bundled, shrink-wrapped onto pallets, and picked up by a fleet of 25 forklifts that ferry them to the plant’s warehouse or loading docks. As many as 175 trucks arrive every day to transport the water to retail locations in the Midwest. “We want more people to drink water, keep hydrated,” Sommer says. “It would be nice if it were my water, but we just want them to drink water.”

Water bottles in motion at the Nestlé Ice Mountain facility in Stanwood, Mich.

Photographer: Brendan George Ko for Bloomberg Businessweek

Nestlé SA started bottling in 1843 when company founder Henri Nestlé purchased a business on Switzerland’s Monneresse Canal. “Ever the curious scientist, [he] analyzed and experimented with the enrichment of water with a variety of minerals, always with a singular goal: to provide healthy, accessible, and delicious refreshment,” reads Nestlé’s website. Today there are thousands of bottled water companies worldwide—there’s even Trump Ice—but Nestlé is the biggest globally in terms of sales, followed by Coca-Cola, Danone, and PepsiCo, according to Euromonitor International. Nestlé Waters, the Paris-based subsidiary, owns almost 50 brands, including Perrier, S.Pellegrino, and Poland Spring.

Last year, U.S. bottled water sales reached $16 billion, up nearly 10 percent from 2015, according to Beverage Marketing Corp. They outpaced soda sales for the first time as drinkers continue to seek convenience and healthier options and worry about the safety of tap water after the high-profile contamination in Flint, Mich., about a two-hour drive from Mecosta. Nestlé alone sold $7.7 billion worth worldwide, with more than $343 million of it coming from Michigan, where the company bottles Ice Mountain Natural Spring Water and Pure Life, its purified water line.

The Michigan operation is only one small part of Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company. But it illuminates how Nestlé has come to dominate a controversial industry, spring by spring, often going into economically depressed municipalities with the promise of jobs and new infrastructure in exchange for tax breaks and access to a resource that’s scarce for millions. Where Nestlé encounters grass-roots resistance against its industrial-strength guzzling, it deploys lawyers; where it’s welcome, it can push the limits of that hospitality, sometimes with the acquiescence of state and local governments that are too cash-strapped or inept to say no. There are the usual costs of doing business, including transportation, infrastructure, and salaries. But Nestlé pays little for the product it bottles—sometimes a municipal rate and other times just a nominal extraction fee. In Michigan, it’s $200.

A bridge at sunset in Evart, Mich.

Photographer: Brendan George Ko for Bloomberg Businessweek

The Romans were among the first to see water as more than a basic need. They ranked theirs by taste; Aqua Marcia, from a spring about 60 miles outside of Rome, was among the best. In the 19th century, some of the first mass-market brands were S.Pellegrino and Vittel, now owned by Nestlé, and Evian, a Danone label. Sales were driven by taste, as well as the age-old notion that the mineral contents are therapeutic, curing ailments from hangovers to kidney stones. But mineral water consumption in America cratered in the early 20th century in part because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made it harder to tout medicinal benefits without expensive testing.

Today, Americans often drink bottled water for what they hope is not in it. Fears about what comes out of the tap aren’t completely unfounded; 77 million Americans are served by water systems that violate testing requirements or rules about contamination in drinking water, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. In agriculture-heavy regions, pesticides, fertilizers, and nitrates from animal waste leach into the ground. Despite the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974, compliance with harmful chemical restrictions isn’t monitored carefully, and most wastewater-treatment systems aren’t designed to remove hormones, antidepressants, and other drugs. The Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency is also attempting to roll back existing regulations. That said, bottled water isn’t necessarily more pure than tap. In the U.S., municipalities with 2.5 million or more people are required to test their supply dozens of times each day, whereas those with fewer than 50,000 customers must test for certain contaminants 60 times per month. Bottled water companies aren’t required to monitor their reserve or report contamination, although Nestlé says it tests its water hourly.

There’s also the issue of scarcity. The United Nations expects that 1.8 billion people will live in places with dire water shortages by 2025, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under stressed water conditions. Supply may be compromised in the U.S., too. A recent Michigan State University study predicts that more than a third of Americans might not be able to afford their water bills in five years, with costs expected to triple as World War II-era construction breaks down.

Failing infrastructure has already led to a near-total reliance on bottled water in parts of the world. Nestlé started selling Pure Life in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1998 to “provide a safe, quality water solution,” the company says. But locals wonder if the Swiss multinational is exacerbating the problem. “Twenty years ago, you could go anywhere in Lahore and get a glass of clean tap water for free,” says Ahmad Rafay Alam, an environmental lawyer in the country. “Now, everyone drinks bottled water.” He adds that this change has taken the pressure off the government to fix its utilities, degrading the quality of Lahore’s supply: “What Nestlé did is use a good marketing scheme to make tap water uncool and dangerous. It’s ubiquitous, like Kleenex. People will say, ‘Give me a bottle of Nestlé.’ ”

Nestlé has been preparing for shortages for decades. The company’s former chief executive officer, Helmut Maucher, said in a 1994 interview with the New York Times: “Springs are like petroleum. You can always build a chocolate factory. But springs you have or you don’t have.” His successor, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, who retired recently after 21 years in charge, drew criticism for encouraging the commodification of water in a 2005 documentary, saying: “One perspective held by various NGOs—which I would call extreme—is that water should be declared a human right. … The other view is that water is a grocery product. And just as every other product, it should have a market value.” Public outrage ensued. Brabeck-Letmathe says his comments were taken out of context and that water is a human right. He later proposed that people should have free access to 30 liters per day, paying only for additional use.

Compared with the water needs of agriculture and energy production, the bottled water business is barely responsible for a trickle; in Michigan, it accounts for less than 1 percent of total water usage, according to Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). But it rankles many because the natural resource gets hauled out of local watersheds for private profit, not used in the service of feeding people or keeping their lights on. There’s also, of course, the issue of plastic pollution.

In the U.S., Nestlé tends to set up shop in areas with weak water regulations or lobbies to enfeeble laws. States such as Maine and Texas operate under a remarkably lax rule from the 1800s called “absolute capture,” which lets landowners take all the groundwater they want. Michigan, New York, and other states have stricter laws, allowing “reasonable use,” which means property owners can extract water as long as it doesn’t unreasonably affect other wells or the aquifer system. Laws vary even within states. New Hampshire is a reasonable-use state, but in 2006, the municipality of Barnstead became the first nationwide to ban the pumping of its water for sale elsewhere.

Towns in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin have turned away Nestlé. In Washington, the mayor of Waitsburg, Walt Gobel, resigned last year after it was revealed that he’d conducted secret talks with the company about building a $50 million plant. “The representatives asked for confidentiality of this proposal until they could determine the feasibility,” Gobel wrote in his resignation letter. Town leaders later voted to reject Nestlé’s advances.

Water tower in Evart.

Photographer: Brendan George Ko for Bloomberg Businessweek

Elsewhere, Nestlé has largely prevailed against opposition. In Fryeburg, Maine, it took the company four years to successfully appeal a zoning board resolution to build a facility it said it needed for its Poland Spring line. Last year it gained rights to extract water for the next 20 years—and perhaps 25 more after that. In San Bernardino, Calif., Nestlé has long paid the U.S. Forest Service an annual rate of $524 to extract about 30 million gallons, even during droughts. “Our public agencies have dropped the ball,” says Peter Gleick, co-founder of the Pacific Institute, which focuses on water issues. “Every gallon of water that is taken out of a natural system for bottled water is a gallon of water that doesn’t flow down a stream, that doesn’t support a natural ecosystem,” he says.

Nestlé isn’t the only bottled water company operating in Michigan, but it’s the most controversial. Pepsi and Coca-Cola bottle municipal water from Detroit for their Aquafina and Dasani brands, respectively; they pay city rates, then sell the product back for profit. In Mecosta County, Nestlé sucks up spring water directly from the source, which water conservationists say does more damage to the flow of streams, rivers, and wetland ecology. Municipal supplies come from larger bodies of water, so massive depletions, they argue, have less of an impact. Nestlé’s chief of sustainability, Nelson Switzer, responds: “Water is a renewable resource. As long as you manage the area, water will flow in perpetuity.”

Nestlé purchased Ice Mountain from Pepsi in 2000 and moved the production facilities from the East Coast to mountain-less Mecosta. State and local officials appreciated the business and offered a $13 million, one-time tax break. When people found out that Nestlé was pumping water in their backyards, however, they formed an opposition group, Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation. Spearheaded by retired librarians and teachers, the group added more than 2,000 members statewide, enlisted the land-and-water-rights lawyer Jim Olson, and filed a lawsuit to stop Nestlé.

The case dragged on for eight years and cost the group more than $1 million. To raise money, it charged membership fees and threw fundraisers. “Garage sales twice a year, Texas Hold ’em, raffles, a few grants from nonprofits,” says President Peggy Case, a retired schoolteacher who rigged her own water towers to irrigate the gardens on her 35-acre property.

In 2003 a judge ruled against Nestlé, saying that data documenting three years of extraction by the company showed a significant depletion of the area’s streams and wetlands. Nestlé appealed, and the case lasted six more years before the two parties settled in 2009. Nestlé would reduce pumping from 400 gallons per minute to 218, with further restrictions in spring and summer, which residents hoped would limit the environmental impact.

Even before the settlement, Nestlé had expanded its operation beyond Mecosta County to neighboring Osceola County. For access to municipal wells in the city of Evart and one nonmunicipal well nearby, the company promised to fund 14 acres of new softball fields, plus a bullpen and lockers, for the high school team. The school superintendent, Howard Hyde, told the Grand Rapids Press in March 2005: “I’m tickled. It’s like Christmas. Our current fields are pretty nice, but these are going to be better.”

More than 44 percent of Evart’s 1,500 residents live below the poverty line, according to Data USA. Officials were disappointed that Nestlé built its Ice Mountain plant in Mecosta, which cost the city 280 jobs, but they were grateful for the roughly $250,000 Nestlé pays Evart annually for its water. “[If they left], our services would decline,” says Zackary Szakacs, the city manager.

In addition to the softball fields, Nestlé has helped Evart finance other upgrades, including new well houses for its municipal water, parks, and a fairground that hosts a dulcimer festival in July. For decades the fairground was also home to Evart’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration, attended by as many as 10,000 locals. In 2015, Nestlé discovered contamination in the watershed from perchlorate in those fireworks. The likely carcinogen is banned at certain levels only in Massachusetts and California, which is why Evart hadn’t been testing for it. But because Nestlé sells in all 50 states, says Szakacs, none of its water can test positive for the chemical. The company has since stopped pumping from affected wells and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean them up.

Szakacs, Evart’s city manager.

Photographer: Brendan George Ko for Bloomberg Businessweek

At 58, Szakacs has snow-white hair, a goatee, a gruff voice, and a love of fishing and Coors Light. A former policeman, he’d moved to Evart in 2006 to be chief. His office at Evart City Hall is within walking distance of the pumping station where a steady stream of 12,500-gallon trucks arrive each day to pick up water for the Ice Mountain factory. Szakacs isn’t worried about Evart’s springs. “Look, we’ve got plenty of water, more water than you can imagine,” he says. “We’ve got rivers, and streams, and fish—bass, trout.”

Last Halloween, however, Garret Ellison, an environmental reporter for MLive and the Grand Rapids Press, discovered that Nestlé had applied for a permit to more than double its pumping rate at the well near Evart, to 400 gallons per minute—the same rate that was ruled harmful in Mecosta. Anticipating approval, Nestlé had invested $36 million to build an 80,000-square-foot addition to its Ice Mountain plant and applied for another permit for a booster station to help pump the additional flow. Michigan’s DEQ had all but approved the application for the increased pumping rate without allowing for a period of public comment.

After Ellison’s story went live, the department received more than 1,100 emails in three days (the number is now 81,000). “It sent a shock wave through most communities in Michigan,” says Olson, the lawyer, who filed an injunction with the nonprofit rights group For Love of Water demanding that the department extend its comment period and release relevant documents for review. Nestlé now awaits a decision on whether it will be allowed to increase pumping at the well near Evart. In late July the DEQ asked the company to produce data showing that higher pumping rates wouldn’t damage the environment, numbers that Nestlé plans to submit on Sept. 29.

Arlene Anderson-Vincent, a natural resource manager for Nestlé, says the uptick won’t damage the ecosystem. “The water here is constantly being replenished, much more quickly than we can pump,” says Anderson-Vincent, who was born and raised in Michigan and got a bachelor’s degree in geology from Michigan State University while working at General Motors as a welder. Nestlé has collected 17 years’ worth of data evaluating groundwater levels and stream flow—and although, she concedes, the wetlands in Mecosta might not have withstood 400 gallons per minute, Evart’s can. “Every well is different,” she says.

Nestlé’s data doesn’t make “reliable assumptions about real world conditions,” says Olson. “We know our glacial soils in Michigan, and we know our vegetation. You can pretty much take the old case [in Mecosta] as a predictor” of environmental impact.

A trailer park in Evart.

Photographer: Brendan George Ko for Bloomberg Businessweek

Six months after Ellison’s reporting, on a chilly evening in April, more than 500 people filed into a large auditorium at Ferris State University near the Ice Mountain plant. They’d come from all across Michigan to take part in the DEQ’s public hearing on Nestlé, but they had more on their mind than Evart. “We took a bus here from Flint because we’re tired of bottled water, tired of Nestlé, tired of them making a profit off of our disaster,” said Bernadel Jefferson, a pastor and activist who arrived with a dozen other protesters.

It’s impossible to talk about water in Michigan without raising the crisis in Flint. Beginning in 2014 thousands of families were exposed to dangerous levels of lead and bacteria in tap water. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder cut costs by switching the city’s water source, after which the state failed to properly treat the water with anticorrosives. An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease killed at least 12 people and led to manslaughter charges against five state and city officials. Snyder also tried, unsuccessfully, to block a federal court order forcing the state to deliver bottled water to residents. He argued that, at an estimated $10.5 million a month, it would be too costly, put more trucks on the road, and overwhelm Flint’s recycling system.

Nestlé is quick to point out that it has nothing to do with the water problems in Flint or elsewhere. “What happened in Flint, and what’s happening in other communities in the United States, is absolutely outrageous,” says Switzer, the sustainability chief. Nestlé even teamed up with Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi to donate 35,000 bottles per month to Flint residents—“for schoolchildren,” he says.

Case, president of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation.

Photographer: Brendan George Ko for Bloomberg Businessweek

But since the crisis, Flint residents have paid thousands of dollars to purchase bottled water for drinking, cooking, washing, and bathing. “Between 2005 and 2016, Nestlé has taken over 4 billion gallons of our water for pennies and sold it back to us for huge profits,” said Case, the opposition group president, the first of about 50 people to speak at the hearing. “Meanwhile, the people of Flint have been forced to use this bottled water for several years and are required to pay some of the highest water bills in the country for undrinkable water. The people of Detroit have experienced massive shutoffs since 2014, with up to 90,000 people shut off at times. If Detroiters could pay Nestlé rates, few would owe more than a dollar, and the majority would owe less than a dime.”

Case’s three-minute speech got a standing ovation. Onstage, two DEQ employees listened in silence. “F— the DEQ,” a man from Flint yelled into the microphone, holding up his middle fingers. Three hours later, past 10 p.m., the hearing ended. The DEQ employees shuffled offstage, refusing to comment.

Nestlé maintains that its subsidiary is a good steward of the land. An emailed statement from corporate headquarters says: “With a third of its factories already operating in water-stressed areas, water availability is and will increasingly be a major risk to Nestlé Waters. This is why water stewardship at both factory and watershed level remains an integral approach to our business strategy.”

Environmental activists counter that multinationals shouldn’t be in charge of protecting water. But these companies seem more poised to do so than some state and local officials. There’s even a Davos-style event called the World Water Forum, whose stated mission is to “put water firmly on the international agenda.” In March, 40,000 people are expected to convene in Brasilia, Brazil. The occasion isn’t without its critics. In an April blog post, water-rights activist Maude Barlow wrote, “It is a corporate trade show organized by the World Water Council—a multi-stakeholder consortium promoting solutions to the water crisis that serve the interests of multinational corporations.”

A tool for conservationists might be the public trust doctrine, which says natural resources belong to the public. The principle dates back at least 1,500 years; in 1215, it was invoked to prohibit the British Crown from transferring valuable fisheries to private lords because seabeds belonged to the people. David Zetland, author of Living With Water Scarcity, says governments must decide how much water they want to protect under the public trust doctrine and the rest should be divvied up on the open market. “Political allocation is usually corrupt,” he says. Olson doesn’t think a market is a good idea. “The poorest among us have the same rights and should enjoy the same basic access and enjoyment of water as the wealthiest,” he says.

Down a dirt road in Traverse City, about an hour’s drive from Evart, Case is standing in her garden, harvesting fat stalks of asparagus. A neighbor’s dog, a black-and-white mutt left with one eye after a porcupine run-in, follows her through the yard to the home she moved to from Detroit after retiring. “We grow a good portion of our food here for the entire year,” she says.

Case, echoing her comments at the Ferris State hearing, says she’ll keep fighting. “It has to do with the privatization of water and taking the people’s water and making a profit from it, an exorbitant profit, a ridiculous profit, when there are people with no water at all, or people with poisoned water,” she says. “We don’t believe water should be owned by anybody. It’s a public right.” Depending on how Michigan rules on Nestlé’s bid to pump more water in Evart, Case’s group may take legal action. How it will pay to challenge the Swiss conglomerate a second time, she doesn’t know. “We might,” she says, “end up back in bake sales.”

(Clarifies information about contamination in Evart’s watershed in the 22nd paragraph.)

The post Nestlé Makes Billions Bottling Water It Pays Nearly Nothing For appeared first on ZONAKNIG.

from ZONAKNIG http://ift.tt/2fDziPA

from Zonaknig http://ift.tt/2ywza8t