The Problem:

One of the most visible examples of corporate control of water is bottled water. It is one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. beverage market and is a $55 billion a year business globally. Just three corporations—Coke, Nestlé, Pepsi—make up almost half of the U.S. bottled water market. Since 1993, the consumption of bottled water in the U.S. has more than doubled. Right now, in the U.S., over half of the people drink bottled water.  Misleading advertising is fueling this industry:  In 2002, bottled water corporations spent $93.8 million to portray their products as ‘pure,' ‘safe,' 'clean,' and 'healthy.'
 
Bottled water corporations have sold people a bill of goods—positioning bottled water as healthy, when in reality it threatens our health and our ecosystems, costs thousands of times what tap water costs, and undermines local democratic control over a common resource.  Water bottling is one of the least regulated industries in the U.S. and is much less regulated than our public tap water.  Scientific studies even show that bottled water is no safer than tap water, and in fact is sometimes less safe, containing elevated levels of arsenic, bacteria and other contaminants. 
 
Water bottlers are taking water from underground springs and municipal sources around the world without regard to water scarcity or human rights. These corporations are taking water from local springs, aquifers and even directly from our public tap water systems—more than one-quarter of bottled water sold comes from municipal supplies.  These corporations use political and economic clout to secure sweetheart deals, block legislative efforts to secure local control and pursue costly and time-consuming litigation against individuals and governments. 
 
What you can do:
 
Join people around the world and resist the attempts by corporations to dictate who has water and who doesn't.  Right now, Corporate Accountability International is raising awareness among the U.S. public of the dangerous reality behind the image of bottled water, pressuring the corporations that profit from it, and working with our allies to explore the possibility of a global treaty to protect the fundamental human right to water. Take action today and join this growing movement challenging the bottled water industry and its irresponsible and dangerous actions.