Good Report On Responsibility In Bottled Water Industry

Bottled water refers to the water that is taken by people and is usually packaged in plastic bottles or glass bottles. In most cases, the water may be carbonated and in other situations, it may not. There is the bottled water that produced in large quantities and those that is produced in small amounts. It is said that in the US, people do consume 1500 bottles of water per second. The first recorded case of selling bottled water in the USA was by the Jackson’s Spa that sold it mainly for therapeutic uses. Later, others emerged such as the in Saratoga Springs and Albany (Dege, 2011).
The bottled water is made through a purification process. The process leads to the production of a dozen varieties of the bottled water. In most cases, the water is bottled at the source and sealed in the safe containers for drinking. Due to this, many types of bottled water exist and are held in different kinds of bottles that have unique shapes. Mostly, the price of the water goes with how fancy the bottle is (Gleick, 2010).
In most cases, the process of water purification is a four step one. The fourteen steps aim at guaranteeing the consumer water that has the highest safety. It also ensures a taste that is in accordance with the preference of the user. The first step in bottled water purification is collection of water through stainless steel pipes. The water is carefully collected from a municipal water supply or a local well. Sometimes, the companies are licensed to take water directly from the source. There are regular quality control and testing of the source of the water to ensure high safety for the consumer. The collected water is stored in tanks (Gleick, 2010).
The second step involves removing of chlorine. This is usually the case if the water has been sourced from a municipal or public drinking water system. It thus involves the removal of chlorine and trihalomethanes through a daily process that involves the activated carbon filtration process. The process thus involves the use of carbon hence the name carbonated. The chlorine is usually not healthy if it stays in bottled water (Dege, 2011).
The third step involves water softening. This is done to remove compounds such as excess calcium that may be present in the water. It also removes fluoride that is not friendly to the teeth of individuals especially when used in excess. A water softener is utilized in this process. This thus proves the fact that bottled water is mostly soft water. Also, the hard water is usually not healthy for children and below the age of 10 as the fluorine that is present may hamper with their teeth formation. It also leads to the discoloration of the teeth (Gleick, 2010).
Step number four involves the removal of unwanted minerals that have no use or are harmful. This process is called distillation or reverse osmosis. It is also done during every process of bottled water production. From the demineralization, the water enters the third step which is a storage. It is stored in tanks that are sealed and in safe heights to avoid contracting any pathogens or any other harmful agents to the human health (Gleick, 2010).
While still in the tanks, selected minerals are added to the water. These minerals are mostly proved to be essential to the human health, or most people lack them. They can also be added basing on the demand that people have for the minerals. The minerals may be mostly containing essential compounds to the body. It is mostly due to consumer tastes and preferences that the water is added the minerals (Dege, 2011).
Step eight involves the ultra violet filtration process. This is a process that provides additional disinfection of the product. It is also monitored after an hour due to the nature of its role. It aims at maximizing utility and importance to the consumer while eliminating any possibilities of harm in the water. After this, it undergoes step nine comprises the ozone disinfection. This is done using a very reactive form of oxygen. It is also monitored after every hour (Dege, 2011).
The water then enters the killing room where bottling is done. The environment is usually microbiologically environment. It is thus monitored and controlled continuously. The human inspection conducts the quality assurance process that involves the removal of any defects in packaging. It enters the stage 12 that includes line sanitation. Finally, the water comes final quality assurance to ensure that nothing has been left behind in the end product. The water is thus released to the consumers as bottled water that is ready for consumption (Dege, 2011).
The bottled water after production is transported by trucks to the countrywide stores of the respective companies, from where they are distributed to wholesalers, supermarkets, and retailers. Also, it can be carried by rail and other vehicles such as pick-ups. Alternatively, consumers can purchase the water directly from the production point. Such is in most cases a cheap process (Gleick, 2010).
The water is marketed by the companies that produce. The marketing can be carried through dailies, online marketing, marketing, sports marketing, social marketing or through any other channels. Additionally, it can be done through the mainstream media in the US where they are sure they will achieve large markets. The marketing adverts are done to coerce the people into buying the water; they usually tell them of the importance of consuming bottled, its safety and sanitation among others. They hence achieve their markets (Dege, 2011).
After the process of the marketing, the water is sold to the consumers through their affiliates nationwide. The affiliates are in most cases the appointed agents of distributing the water on behalf of the company. Also, large retail chains, stores, and wholesalers sell the water to the consumers on a daily basis. The water is consumed by the people who purchase it. In the USA, for instance, it is estimated that over 1500 bottles of water are consumed per second. Also, the consumption of the water in the USA has increased in sales by 8% in the last two years (Gleick, 2010).
When it comes to the effects of bottled water industry on the environment, the massive consumption of the bottled water has led to substantial costs to be incurred by the local governments in the US. In fact, some are considering banning the water due to this. The bottles in which water is packaged takes over 1000 years to biodegrade. This is an environmental hazard that should be avoided by all means. Additionally, it is estimated that the producers of the bottled water use 3 liters of water in order to package a liter of bottled water. The transport of the water to the market or the production increased emission of the greenhouse gases. The gases expand global warming that is threatening the physical environmental of the earth. Also, bottled water costs about $0.25 to $2 per bottle while tap water costs way less than that. It is thus very costly to an average American (Dege, 2011).
In the USA, the year 2009 witnessed people purchase over 8.40 billion of gallons of bottled water., which was 2% less than what they consumed in 2008. The sales of the bottled water declined in the two years because people were cutting on expenses. Generally speaking, the water is too costly for an average American. Also, bottled water is not safe for human beings. In 2008, a study found that ten different brands of water contained 39 contaminants (Gleick, 2010).
There are calls however to ensure that the companies that are being involved in the production of the bottled water involve themselves in sustainable development. The sustainable development is through ensuring that they protect the water sources and catchment areas, they encourage environmental management and conservation, facilitate the proper disposal of the plastic bottles and that the users get the best out of their money. This is due to the popularity that the water has gained in the recent years and its anticipated importance (Schotter, 2008).
In conclusion, bottled water is necessary for the economy of the United States. A lot of people are consuming the water and the number of sales being recorded in a minute is exorbitant. It might be the most booming business in the country currently (Schotter, 2008). However, critics have been calling for the stakeholders within the bottled water industry to ensure that they agree with the set standards of the environment, safety to human beings, and hence improvement in the economy of the USA.
Retrieved March 30, 2015 from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://image.slidesharecdn.com/14012014adrianstonewbsession-140114131000-phpapp01/95/making-the-south-african-times-satim-energy-system-model-water-smart-by-adrian-stone-from-the-university-of-cape-town-7-638.jpg%253Fcb%253D1389728031&imgrefurl=http://www.slideshare.net/WaterforLife/14-01-2014adrianstonewbsession&h=479&w=638&tbnid=5ZbKnbq1OeGtXM:&zoom=1&docid=6NFocGBD_FgduM&ei=wZUZVY6RJcu4uATXr4LYDg&tbm=isch&ved=0CBEQMygJMAk4ZA
Retrieved March 30, 2015 from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.frbsf.org/education/files/drecon_0211.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.frbsf.org/education/publications/doctor-econ/2002/november/private-social-costs-pollution-production&h=350&w=512&tbnid=iySX3t7qFvTV5M:&zoom=1&docid=32yv-ehQMMWpAM&ei=UJUZVbTxH8-fugTIg4GwCQ&tbm=isch&ved=0CCoQMygNMA0

References

Dege, N. (2011). Technology of Bottled Water. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
Gleick, P. H. (2010). Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Washington, D.C: Island Press.
Retrieved March 30, 2015 from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.frbsf.org/education/files/drecon_0211.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.frbsf.org/education/publications/doctor-econ/2002/november/private-social-costs-pollution-production&h=350&w=512&tbnid=iySX3t7qFvTV5M:&zoom=1&docid=32yv-ehQMMWpAM&ei=UJUZVbTxH8-fugTIg4GwCQ&tbm=isch&ved=0CCoQMygNMA0
Retrieved March 30, 2015 from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://image.slidesharecdn.com/14012014adrianstonewbsession-140114131000-phpapp01/95/making-the-south-african-times-satim-energy-system-model-water-smart-by-adrian-stone-from-the-university-of-cape-town-7-638.jpg%253Fcb%253D1389728031&imgrefurl=http://www.slideshare.net/WaterforLife/14-01-2014adrianstonewbsession&h=479&w=638&tbnid=5ZbKnbq1OeGtXM:&zoom=1&docid=6NFocGBD_FgduM&ei=wZUZVY6RJcu4uATXr4LYDg&tbm=isch&ved=0CBEQMygJMAk4ZA
Schotter, A. (2008). Microeconomics: A Modern Approach. Boston: Cengage Learning.