Tide Turning Against Flood Of Empties

By NICOLA M. WHITE The Tampa Tribune

Published: Dec 19, 2007

ZEPHYRHILLS - It used to be simple: Grab a bottle of water and go.

Once seen as the hallmark of healthy living, bottled water is facing a backlash from environmentalists who worry about all those discarded plastic containers, more than 80 percent of which end up in landfills and incinerators. Then there's the practical argument: Why pay for something that flows freely from the faucet?

Even in Zephyrhills, "The City of Pure Water," a plan that ultimately would allow the Zephyrhills Spring Water Co. to expand its Pasco County bottling plant initially met with opposition from residents.

Aside from disposing of the 29.8 billion bottles of water the Container Recycling Institute estimates Americans drink each year, environmentalists say the industry's rapid growth is straining the world's scarce oil resources. It takes the equivalent of 17 million barrels of oil per year to produce that many water bottles, according to the Pacific Institute, a California think tank.

"That's a lot of oil for a product that, frankly, is a luxury," said Peter Gleick, president of the institute.

The bottled water industry has tried to respond to its critics. Locally, Zephyrhills Spring Water is rolling out a lighter, hourglass-shaped bottle that uses 30 percent less plastic. The International Bottled Water Association also has pledged to encourage more recycling efforts. In August, the organization took out full-page ads in The New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle in response to what it called misleading attacks.

It is unclear what - if any - effect the negative publicity could have on bottled water sales. For the past five years, Americans have been buying more of the bottled stuff, with sales growing 8 percent to 10 percent every year; sales of Zephyrhills brand water have kept pace, a company spokesman said.

Only Soda Quenches More Thirsts

Apart from soda, Americans drink more bottled water than any other commercially packaged beverage, including juice, beer or coffee, according to the Beverage Marketing Corp.

That consumers are choosing bottled water over sugary drinks is a good thing, those in the industry say. And buying a bottle of water is just that: a choice.

"I love my tap water, but when I'm on the road between Pensacola and Zephyrhills, I'm not interested in trying out the water in the shady little water fountain at the gas station. I'd rather buy some bottled water," said Jim McClellan, spokesman for the Zephyrhills Spring Water Co., which is owned by Nestle Waters North America, the owner of Poland Spring and Deer Park brands.

Defending the company's environmental stewardship, McClellan points to the green technology used in Nestle's buildings and its maintenance of the Crystal Springs Preserve, a nature center on the grounds of the southeast Pasco spring where Zephyrhills water is pumped.

Besides, soda manufacturers use plastic, too, and some commercial ventures use more water than bottlers do, he said.

Zephyrhills Spring Water pumps an average of 755,000 gallons per day from Crystal Springs. By comparison, Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel uses an average of 619,000 gallons per day, according to the Southwest Florida Management District. CF Industries, a phosphate company in Plant City, uses 4 million gallons a day.

Tap Water's Benefits Touted

Still, bottled water is facing scrutiny for a reason, said Ruth Caplan, chairwoman of the Sierra Club's water privatization task force.

"The reason we focus on bottled water particularly is that you can't turn on your tap and get soda out of your tap or apple juice out of your tap," she said. "We truly do have an alternative to drinking bottled water. We also have an alternative to buying these one-use bottled water bottles."

In June, the U.S. Conference of Mayors discussed the irony of buying bottled water for city meetings and functions while touting the quality of municipal tap water. Some cities have even banned buying bottled water, both as an environmentally friendly move and as a cost-saving measure.

In Zephyrhills, jumping on the bandwagon would pose challenges.

The Zephyrhills Spring Water Co. provides 325 local jobs and donates free bottled water during emergencies and to city hall workers.

"It would be like Detroit saying, 'We're all driving Toyotas,'" City Manager Steve Spina said.

Reporter Nicola M. White can be reached at (813) 779-4613 or nwhite1@tampatrib.com.