According to the Earth Policy Institute (www.earth-policy.org/): “Annual consumption in the United States in 1976 was less than 2 gallons for every man, woman, and child; some 30 years later, Americans on average each now drink about 30 gallons of bottled water a year.”

According to the institute, compared with tap water, which is delivered through an energy-efficient infrastructure, bottled water is an “incredibly wasteful” product.