The Economist reviews Bottlemania by Elizabeth Royte, in which Royte examines the pros and cons of this $60 billion global business.
Notes The Economist in its review: "[Bottled water] costs between 250 and 10,000 times more than tap water and in blind tastings people cannot usually separate the fancy beverage from the ordinary stuff. Then there is the environmental cost: according to one estimate, the total energy required to make and deliver each bottle of water is equivalent to filling them a quarter of the way with oil." Yet where no clean water is available, bottled water easily fills a critical role by providing potable water.
