Yet few people accept it because they are concerned about the taste and possibly quality of tap water, he says. The filtered tap water. Bottled water has become a giant industry. Amazingly, some 25 percent of all the bottled water sold in the United States came from municipal sources and then was tweaked. Or manipulated, as von Wiesenberger calls it.
Sales continue to grow, nonetheless.
Because most better restaurants feature small-sized glass containers, overall restaurant sales represent a small portion of the total market, one dominated by bulk sales to businesses, supermarkets and convenience stores. Yet the bottled water industry is a battleground of titans, none of whom are going to miss an opportunity to market their product. By far the biggest player is Nestle, the international conglomerate that controls nearly 30 percent of the market with its Perrier Group. Brands include Perrier, S. Pellegrino, Calistoga, Arrowhead, Deer Park, Zephyrhills, Acqua Panna, Poland Spring and Vittel. Danone International is in second place with brands including Dannon, Evian, Ferrarelle, Volvic, Crystal Springs and Naya of Canada.