CHAPTER I AN OVERVIEW OF PACKAGED DRINKING WATER INDUSTRY Introduction All living things need water. The Barth is full of water. Water is the most essential element, next to air, to our survival. Water makes up more than two thirds of the weight, of the human body, and without it, we would die in a few days. Water is important to complete daily life and to maintain our body health. Thirty years ago ‘packaged drinking, water’ barely existed. Nowadays the product forms an essential business by its stable and still growing market — locally and globally, Packaged drinking water can be described as any product, including natural spring or well water, taken from municipal or private utility systems or other water, distilled water or any of the foregoing to which chemicals may be added and which are put into sealed bottles, packages or other containers, to be sold for domestic consumption or culinary use. In 2013 the global packaged drinking, water market is forecast to have a value of $94.2 billion, an increase of 41% since 2007. This increasing trend reveals that the product meets the demand of countless consumers.' A Role of Water in Ancient History Water is our lifeline that cleans and feeds us. In ancient cultures, water represented the very essence of life. The Romans were the first to pipe water into their growing cities especially with their aqueducts. They also realized that sewage water could cause damage to people and needed to be removed from the living environment. Water has played a role not only in the history of countries, but also in religion, mythology, and art. Water in many religions is symbolised as a soul cleanser and known as holy water. For example, water at St.Lourdes, France is thought by many religions to be sacred with healing powers. It brought life to their people, but in drought, produced chaos. ‘Water has always been perceived as a gift from the gods, as it rained from the heavens. Department of Health, New York State 2006, February, “Bottled water frequently-asked questions”, Retrieved from http:/Avww.health,state.ny.us/, Last accessed on January 28, 2010 66 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Importance of Water Water is not only important to human beings, but also for every living thing needs it to live. It has helped form the Earth as we know it, and it covers over 70 per cent of the Earth, Even where there is land, much of it is covered by ice, which is obviously just solid water. Water is important in homeostasis process to maintain the relatively constant temperatures within the body. This is important because sudden changes in temperature, which may upset metabolic reactions in cells, are avoided. These chemical reactions are allowed to take place within a narrow temperature range so that rates of reaction are more constant, Water has been called a universal solvent because of it polarity. This means many compounds, whether ionic, polar or covalent will dissolve in it, therefore more reactions take place while in solution with water. Human digestion will only dissolve soluble foods, meaning large starch molecules must be broken down into soluble sugars. Also many organisms living in water, spend most of their time underwater, yet they require oxygen to respire, and as water is such a good solvent, the required oxygen is dissolved in the water. History of the Bottled Water Industry The earliest bottled water company was founded in the United States in the middle of the 19" century. In 1845, the Ricker family of Maine bottled and sold water from a so far unidentified source. Their small operation quickly grew; capitalizing on the spring’s supposed medicinal properties, eventually became the Poland Springs water company. Mirroring the Ricker success, in 1905, the Ozarka Spring Water Company was founded in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Since then, bottled water landscape has expanded tremendously. This expansion has come mostly recently, and it seems to be the acceleration of a slowly expanding industry. Between the early part of the 20" century and its end, there was little activity in the bottled water industry. Bottling companies eventually formed their own lobbing group in 1950 in order to ful. Now, there are hundreds promote their product, and have only been recently sui 67 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.of companies and thousands of brand names of bottled water, and worldwide consumption is in the billions of dollars. Currently, both the Ozarka and Poland Spring brands are owned by Nestlé, and are part of Nestlé’s seventy-five US water brands.” It was in the early 19th century, when the market showed a noticeable change in Europe and captured a great part of the beverage market share, The real boost of bottled water commenced in 1968 when the French company ‘Vittel’ revolutionarily launched the first plastic bottled water- aimed for general public consumption. With France and Germany on top with their highest sales in volume, Europe became an established and leading market? Bottlers marketed the product to consumers as safer, healthier, refreshing, more reliable and above all, better than other soft drinks. Moreover, consumers had become more health conscious and in some parts of the world tap water was unavailable or unsafe, These drivers were the beginning of a booming global bottled water market. Purifying and Treating Water People want drinking water that is free of bacteria, sparkling and without an objectionable take or odour. Water in its natural state seldom has these qualities. So, after water is drawn from source, it is piped into a treatment plant. The plant put the water through one or several process, depending on the quality of the untreated water, and the city’s standards, Many cities use three levels of processing which are: i. Coagulation and setting ii. Filtrations ili. Disinfection Variety of Packages Bottled water is sold in a variety of packages: pouches and glasses, 330 ml bottles, 500 ml bottles, one- litre bottles and even 20- to S0-litre bulk water packs. Mark Miller, “Bottled water: why is it so big? Causes for the rapid growth of bottled water industries”, Honors thesis, Presented to the Honors Committee of Texas state university, San Mareos, May 2006 Finlayson, D. (2005). Marker development of bottled waters. In D. Senior and N. Dege (2nd ed.), Technology of bottled water (p.6). UK: Blackwell Publishing, 68 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.‘The formal bottled water business in India can be divided broadly into three segments in terms of cost: premium natural mineral water, natural mineral water and packaged drinking water, Premium natural mineral water includes brands such as Evian, San Pelligrino and Perrier, which are imported and priced between Rs.80 and Rs.110 a litre, Natural mineral water, with brands such as Himalayan and Catch, is priced around Rs.20 a litre. Packaged drinking water, which is nothing but treated water, is the biggest segment and includes brands such as Parle, Bisleri, Coca-Cola's Kinley and PepsiCo's Aquafina. They are priced in the range of Rs.10-12 a litre. The FDA also classifies some bottled water according to its origin. i. iv. Artesian well water: Water from a well that taps an aquifer--layers of porous rock, sand and earth that contain water which is under pressure from surrounding upper layers of rock or clay. Mineral water: Water from an underground source that contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids. Minerals and trace elements must come from the source of the underground water. They cannot be added later. Spring water: Derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the earth's surface. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring. If some external force is used to collect the water through a borehole, the water must have the same composition and quality as the water that naturally flows to the surface. Well water: Water from a hole, bored or drilled into the ground, which taps into an aquifer. Tap Water: Some bottled water also comes from municipal source in other words the tap. Municipal water is usually treated before it is bottled. Market Analysis of Packaged Drinking Water on Environment i, 80% of the diseases in India are water-borne, ii, 60% - 80% children suffer from water-borne diseases. ili, 50,000 people die every day due to water contamination. iv. India has 17 million cases of viral hepatitis, and v, 8 million cases of typhoid every year. 69 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.All this happens due to water contamination, in fact. There are three types of water contamination as explained below: Physical Contamination: Caused due to contaminants like mud, sand, odour, colour, algae, fungus herminths etc. Chemical Contamination: Caused due to insecticides, pesticides, oils, excess of ions, unwanted minerals. Microbiological Contaminatio : Caused by bacteria, viruses of other unicellular organisms. Global Bottled Water Market Bottled water represents a key segment of the global beverage market. Market stimulants for bottled water include rising population, consumer spending patterns, lifestyle trends, and growing levels of health consciousness, among others. Bottled water is also gaining prominence due to growing consumer concems about fitness, water quality and health. The major challenge for most companies is product innovation and differentiation of water Bottled water is mostly sold in plastic containers ranging from small eight ounce or half litre containers to multi-gallon bottles. Globally, bottled water industry is estimated to use about 2.7 million tons of plastics each year, for the vast majority of ‘water bottles in the shape of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) Table -3.1 GLOBAL BOTTLED WATER MARKE' Share of Consumption by Region 2005-2010 (in %) Region 200s | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 North America 302 | 307 312 30.8 303 29.8 Asia 229 | 23.6 | 249 26.3 27.1 28.5 Europe 343 33.5 313 30.1 28.9 28.1 South America 91 88 9.2 94 10.2 10.1 Alrica/MideasOceania | 3.5 34 3.4 3.5 35 3.5 Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 Source: Global bottled water market www.ausfoodnews.com.au/ 70 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.It is inferred from Table -3.1 that in 2010 North America played the major role in consumption share of consumption by region on global bottled water market at 29 per cont, By Asia at 28.5 per cent, Europe at 28.1 per cent, South America by 10.1 per cent and followed by Africa/Mideast /Oceania by 3.5 per cent. Figure -3.1 Share of Bottled water volume by region,2010(P) Europe mN.America mallothers Asia Source: Palmer (2010) Bottled water industry gets boost from developing industry, www.ausfoodnews.com.au/ It is evident from figure-3.1 that North America is leading at 30 per cent volume of region-wise consumption of bottled water. Europe, Asia at 28 per cent and the remaining 14 per cent by all other regions. n Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Figure -3.2 Thirst for Bottled Water Continues to grow Global Consumption Volume,2000-2010 2000 200: 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 years Source: Total Global consumption of bottled ~— water market, 2010 www.ausfoodnews.com.au/ Figure 3.2 shows that there is a continuous and sustainable increase in the consumption of bottled water in the global consumption from year 2000-2010. Market Growth After several leading years, the European and North American market deteriorated to some extent over the last years. The report of Asia boosts global bottled water market that these markets showed a decrease in growth in 2008 and 2009 because of two main reasons. Firstly because of the global recession (consumers are switching to less expensive options such as tap water), and secondly because of concerns about the impact of bottled water on the environment. It can be concluded that bottled water is an “extra” commodity for many consumers in these countries since financial concems play a crucial role. China has boosted the regional and indeed the global market. The rapidly growing economy of China can be seen as the main driver of this growth. The global market increased by approximately two per cent in 2009. This is a slowdown in comparison to previous years, but it also expresses that the bottled water category can maintain growth in even the most challenging times of trading environments. 72 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Market value The value of the global bottled water market increased obviously parallel to the consumption. In 2012 the global bottled water market is forecast to have a value of $94.2 billion, an increase of 41 per cent since 2007. Despite the decline in growth last year, consultants expect every region of the market to post growth in 2012* Figure -3.3 Global Bottled Water Market Value 2005-2009 10000000 20000000 60000000 40000000 20000000 0 2005-2006 = 2007S 2008 =~ 2009 56.900.000 60.900.000 66.700.000 74.700.000 81.700.000 year Source: Datamonitor (2009)° Global Bottled Water Companies Worldwide there are thousands of companies bottling water for profit. Many of these corporations have grown exponentially. Almost all of these corporations make phenomenal amounts of money on a resouree, They pay very little for the industry leaders such as Thames Water, Perrier, Vivendi, Suez, Pepsi and Coca-Cola to see how their profit margins have been on a steady increase over the last decade, in their bottled water divisions. Bottled water companies fight not only concemed citizens within local areas, but also fights each other in hopes of being the first to establish their own bottling plants. Currently, German energy conglomerate RWE and French transnational Vivendi are the two largest water corporations globally. These giants control almost 40 per cent of the existing water market shares as they are ranked SIst and S3rd among Fortune's Global 500 List. 4 Drake, (2010, January). Asia boosts global bottled water market, Retrieved from Jntox/ivww.ausfoodnews.com aul Datamonitor (2009). Bottled Water: Global Industry Guide. Retrieved from hutp:/www researchandmarkets.com! 73 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Vivendi alone operates in over 100 countries while the third largest bottling water giant, Suez, operates in more than 130 countries. The annual revenues of Suez and Vivendi combined push $70 billion. Global bottled water companies have been criticized for their methods. For example, in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, after the American Water Works had been sold to German based RWE, the managers of Nashua's water company Pennichuck decided to post the local company for sale. Then in April 2004, Pennichuck announced that it had received a $106 million purchase offer from Philadelphia Suburban. This company is the second largest investor-owned water utility in the United States. Vivendi owned 17 per cent of Philadelphia Suburban, Bottled water competence to other soft drinks Carbonated soft drinks remained, by far, the largest liquid refreshment beverage category, but they continued to lose both volume and market share. Volume slipped 0.8% from 13.9 billion gallons in 2009 to 13.8 billion gallons in 2010, which resulted in their market share moving down from 48 per cent to 47 per cent. Nonetheless, certain soda trademarks, such as Dr Pepper, Mountain Dew and Sprite, did achieve growth. Moreover, carbonated soft drinks accounted for five of the 11 biggest beverage trademarks during 2010, with Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola retaining their perennial first and second positions. Bottled water had four entries among the leading trademarks for the first time in 2010 (with two brands essentially tied for the tenth place). Bottled water declined in 2008 and 2009 but recovered in 2010, when volume grew by 3.5 per cent. Four companies accounted for all of the leading refreshment beverage trademarks. Pepsi-Cola had five brands, including the sole fruit beverage brand to make the list, Tropicana, Coca-Cola had three, while Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) and Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG) had two and one, respectively.* Use of Bottled Water-The Consumer’s Perspective Various reasons have been reported for the higher trend of bottled water use in ‘many countries. Some reasons include: Beverage Marketing Corporation Reports 4 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.i, Consumer awareness of increasing water pollution ii, Deficiencies in municipal water supplies in terms of aesthetic, chemical and microbiological water quality. iii, Successful marketing strategies of bottled water by the bottling companies, iv. Easy availability and reasonable pricing has popularized the utilisation of bottled drinking water by a number of people who can afford it. v. Bottled water is generally considered safe and is taken for granted by people without question. For example ‘spring water’ is perceived as a pristine, natural source of water. vi Bottled mineral water has long been consumed as a safer alternative in countries with reticulated water of uncertain quality. However, consumers should be aware that bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water. Public Health Aspects and Concerns about Bottled Water Use Although consumption of bottled water is increasing, there are many concerns, these include: i, Poor regulation by different member states; ii, Uncertainty of the shelf-life and possible health implications; and iii, Uncertainty of water quality status. Bottled water Versus Carbonated Beverages Bottled nonearbonated drinking water competes in the marketplace with carbonated beverages (including carbonated water) sold in individual plastic bottles. Consumption of water often is considered a healthier substitute for soda. According to the Container Recycling Institute, sales of flavoured, noncarbonated drinks were expected to surpass soda sales by 2010. In response, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have introduced new carbonated drinks that are fortified with vitamins and minerals, Diet Coke Plus and Tava, marketed as "sparkling beverages.” Critical View for Packaged Drinking Water There are many possible reasons why bottled water has become such a large industry and some of those reasons are because of its advantages with regard to ordinary tap water, according to the large number of advertisements that showcase bottled water's qualities. Two other important reasons, are its relative convenience, and its safety and purity. 75 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Bottled water appeals many as being far more convenient than tap, and logically so, Bottled water are available virtually everywhere now. One can purchase bottled water by the dozens at most supermarkets, and one can find bottled water at service stations, vending machines, and even some restaurants, Restaurants are particularly happy to sell bottled water, as it replaces, or at least complements, a previously free service. At delis, fast food, takeout places and similar establishments, where one picks a drink out of a refrigerator, bottled water is considered the norm, and usually takes up about half the drink refrigerators, Tap water is still available through the soda fountain, but one would have to ask for a cup. This usually results, however, in a small cup, which. is hardly convenient, or even portable in a stuff-in-bag sense. The physical container is plastic bottle with a screw-on lid. This configuration allows for a re-sealable container. One can grab a bottle and not worry about spilling it, This offers an edge over conventional aluminium cans, which cannot be re-closed. Because bottles are re-sealable, places that prohibit food and drink, will often allow water bottles and similar containers. Such places typically include mass transit, classrooms, libraries, museums, conference centres, and other public accommodations. Res ability has granted added advantageous quality to the bottles. Since it is re-sealable, it is also re-usable, When the originally bottled water runs out, the consumer can simply refill the bottle with ordinary tap water, or soda, alcohol, or whatever the consumer wants. This changes the purpose of the product and even the industry's purpose as well. Instead of bottled water being sold as different or better water, it is sold in containers for large quantity of water. This places it in competition with more traditional sports bottles. Using the water bottle for the re-useability does compromise another of its advantages. This advantage is purity. Many consumers of bottled water typically consider it more desirable because of its purity. One way the water can be purer than tap water because bottled water is usually placed into its container almost immediately after collection Due to the fact that water is usually bottled at its source, it can avoid the possible contamination that could result in city treatment processes. These processes include wastewater treatment, river and rainwater collection, contaminated plumbing, and excessive fluoridation or chlorination, Damaged, broken, or rusting pipes are a health concer, and are the responsibility of the municipality. Since such entities are typically 76 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.slow to respond, tap water may become contaminated. Furthermore, the compromising of treatment facilities or sources to allow particulates, excessive amounts of minerals, and biological contaminates into the water stream are simply unacceptable to most folk. These conditions are also the responsibilities of the municipality, and so mismanagement and the resulting impurities represent a critical factor in the decision to purchase bottled water. a, Mineral water is perceived as good for health and the mineral conent gives it a taste along with therapeutic value. b. Minerals in the bottled water is easily absorbed by the body compared to minerals, in the food. c, Mineral water benefits the body by helping it to fight against fungus and bacteria along with de-oxidizing the body. 4. Regular water purifiers remove all kinds of mineral content from the water; mineral revitalization water purification systems artificially add minerals back into the water. ©. These systems give the water the same kinds of minerals that have been removed during the filtration process.” Critical View against Packaged Drinking Water There are, as with any product, disadvantages to the consumption of bottled water. The most obvious and tangible is cost. Bottled water is very expensive. Some times go for around five dollars a gallon ($1.15/litre), nearly twice the cost of gasoline in most places. Imported water goes for much higher prices; sometimes up to seven or eight dollars a gallon. ($1.991litre) Prices, of course, vary, but usually in-house lines for grocery stores run much cheaper, sometimes less than half as much as brand name products. This is undoubtedly because many supermarkets are simply selling municipal water. Filtered tap water is nothing new, either. Many brands, particularly the largest brands are simply filtered tap water, and have been sold that way for some time now. To do this, the bottle simply hook into the municipal water supply and sell the water. 7 R.Anitha, “A study on customer preference toward packaged water in Karur city”, Self Journal of Social Science, ISSN: 0975-9999, ol.Il; issue:S, pp-I1 7 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Sometimes the bottlers run it through extra filtering systems like Pepsi’s HydRO-7 scheme, and sometimes not. On the bottle, the water is usually labelled as being from a “community” or “municipal” source, or even simply stating it was bottled inside a city. ‘This means that the bottler simply attached his plant to a city’s water system and started bottling the city water. * There are real environmental impacts of extracting large volumes of water from local aquifers and of producing and disposing of plastic containers. It is estimated that $100 billion are conservatively amually spent to purchase packaged drinking water worldwide. It is the failure to meet basic human needs for water should not open the door to replacing a public good with a private commodity, but rather should motivate to spend the same resources to produce a more widely available, and far less costly, public product. Water Resources Over-Exploited The majority of the bottling plants are dependent on groundwater. They create huge water stress in the areas where they operate because groundwater is also the main source in most places the only source of drinking water in India. This has created huge conflict between the community and the bottling plants. Private companies in India can siphon out, exhaust and export groundwater free because the groundwater law in the country is archaic and not in tune with the realities of modem capitalist societies. The existing law says that "the person who owns the land owns the groundwater beneath". This means that, theoretically, a person can buy one square metre of land and take all the groundwater of the surrounding areas and the law of land cannot object to it. ‘This law is the core of the conflict between the community and the companies and the ‘major reason for making the business of bottled water in the country highly lucrative. India's Ministry of Water Resources has ranked 80 per cent of ground water resources in Rajasthan as "over- exploited” and nearly 34 per cent resources as "dark/ critical", the gravest ranking across the country. "Ibid 738 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Bottled Water Industry in India Water shortage and health awareness driving bottled water consumption in India. The Indian market is estimated at about Rs 1,000 crores and is growing at a whopping. rate of 40 per cent. By 2010, it will reach Rs 4,000 -5,000 crores with 33 per cent market, for natural mineral water. According to national-level study, there are more than 200 bottled water brands in India and among them nearly 80 per cent are local brands, In fact, making bottled water is today a cottage industry in the country. Leave alone the metros, where a bottled-water manufacturer can be found even in a one-room shop, in every medium and small city and even in some prosperous rural areas there are bottled water manufacturers. India ranks in the top 10 largest bottled water consumers in the world. There is a huge market being exploited by the packaged water industry and several MNCS are waiting in the wings to expand into the country. Table- 3.2 Indian Bottled Water Industry is Growing Exponentially Year Million cases 1990-91 22 1991-92 2.6 1992-93 3.5 1993-94 47 1994-95 65 1995-96 85 1996-97 1s 1997-98 155 1998-99 20 1999-2000 26 2000-01 33 2001-02 445 79 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Year Million cases 2002-03 55.6 2003-04 68.15 2004-05 82 2005-06 97 2006-07 112.85 2007-08 129,85 2009-10 146.8 2009-10 164.45, 2014-15 264" Estimated (Prediction) Source: infochangeinidia.org.indiastat.com Key Drivers for Growth of Packaged D1 king Water Bottled water is still not perceived as a product for masses, though the scene is changing slowly, thanks to low pricing and aggressive marketing strategies adopted by new entrants. Penetration in rural areas is another significant factor that is likely to play a key role in the development of the bottled water trade. The level of prosperity in the different regions plays a key role in the consumption of bottled water in India. ‘The westem region accounts for 40 per cent of the market and the eastern region just, 10 per cent. However, the bottling plants are concentrated in the southern region of the approximately 1,200 bottling water plants in India, 600 are in Tamil Nadu. With over a thousand bottled water producers, the Indian bottled water industry is one of the biggest in the world, There are more than 200 brands, nearly 80 per cent of which are local/small-scale, Most of the small-scale producers sell non-branded products and serve small markets (waterstocks.com). Despite the large number of small producers, this industry is dominated by the big players - Parle Bisleri, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Parle Agro, and SKN Breweries, Bottled water business in India can be divided broadly into three segments 80 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.in terms of cost: premium natural mineral water, natural mineral water and packaged drinking water. The per capita bottled water consumption in the country is still quite low - less than 5 litres a year as compared to the global average of 24 litres. However, the (otal annual bottled ‘water consumption has risen rapidly in recent times. It has tripled between 1999 and 2004 from about 1.5 billion litres to 5 billion litres (waterstocks.com). While the single largest share in the mineral water market might still belong to an Indian brand Parle’s $52 million Bisleri brand has a 40 per cent share - multi-national corporations are not far behind. Nestle and Danone are vying to purchase Bisleri, and Pepsi's Aquafina and Coke's Kinley brands have been extremely successful in edging out many of the small and medium players due to buy-outs and exclusive licensing deals. Kinley and Aquafina are fast catching up, with Kinley holding 20-25 per cent of the market and Aquafina approximately 11 per cent. The rest, including the smaller players, have 20-25 per cent of the market share. The Indian bottled water market, which has more than 250 brands, is expected to undergo a major consolidation phase. History of Bottled Water in India Mineral bottled water in India under the name 'Bisleri" was first introduced in Mumbai by Bisleri Ltd., a company of Italian origin in 1965. Mineral bottled waters were in glass bottles in two varieties - bubbly and still in 1965. This company was started by Signor Felice who first brought the idea of selling bottled water in India. Parle bought over Bisleri (India) Ltd, In 1969 they started bottling mineral water in glass bottles under the brand name 'Bisleri. Later Parle switched over to PVC non- retumable bottles and finally advanced to PET containers. Since 1995 Mr-Ramesh J. Chauhan has started expanding Bisleri operations substantially and the tumover has multiplied more than 20 times over a period of 10 years and the average growth rate has been around 40% over this period. Presently, it has 8 plants and 11 franchisees all over India. Bisleri commands a 60% market share of the organized market. Currently, Bailley has a national presence in 5 lakh retail outlets, across the country. “We plan to increase manufacturing plants for Bailley from 29 to 60, presently 40 plants are operational and few more will be ready for operations over the next few months,” informed Nadia Chauhan, joint managing director of Parle Agro.” * huep:sivww.gits4u,com/water/water16.htm at Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Bottled Water Market in India Bottled water industry in India has been growing steadily and is dominated by certain brands in the market. The packaged water segment is extremely competitive with players ramping up their packaging styles to attract a large base of consumers in order to account for a larger share in the market, With rising consumer concems over health and increasing shelf spaces in the institutional channels, the market is set to boom and exhibit huge potential for players to increase their sales. The report begins with the market overview section which provides a detailed description of the current and forecasted off-trade/retail sales. The difference between packaged and mineral water as well as different forms of distribution is also covered in this section, The section also highlights the regional consumption of bottled water in terms of the bulk water consumption and also the off-trade sales in various regions of India, It also includes the import and export, structure of bottled water and the brands that are traded. Bottled Water Top Players in India The market leader is Bisleri Intemational, which boasts a 40 per cent share. It is followed by Coca- Cola’s Kinley (around 25%) and PepsiCo’s Aquafina (around 10 %). ‘The top players in bottled water industry in India are the major international giants like Coca cola, Pepsi, Nestle and noticeable presence of national players like Mount Everest, Manikchand, Kingfisher, Mohan Meakins, SKN Breweries, Indian Railways and so on. With increasing competition, this sector will register a robust growth in 2010, predict industry analysts. To take on rivals in this sector, PepsiCo India is drawing up a fresh game plan which includes investment in capacity enhancement, packaging initiatives and below-the-ine activities to pump up volumes in the over-crowded category. Meanwhile, swadeshi major Parle Agro is extending the manufacturing facility for Bailley from 29 to 60 plants this year. While swadeshi major Bisleri International is beefing up its distribution, manufacturing and marketing operations. Coca-Cola India is sharpening its focus on packaging initiatives of Kinley to woo new consumers. In essence, the packaged water industry in India will soon witness a major tussle between swadeshi and videshi players to gain market and mind share. 82 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.The western region accounts for 40 per cent of the market and the eastem region just 10. However, the bottling plants are concentrated in the southern region - of the approximately 1,200 bottling water plants in India, 600 are in Tamil Nadu. But many region of southern India, especially Tamil Nadu, are water starved. Top multinational players such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been trying for the past decade to capture the Indian bottled water market, Today they have captured a significant portion of it, However, Parle Bisleri continues to hold 40 per cent of the market share, Kinley and Aquafina are fast catching up, with Kinley holding 20-25 per cent of the market and Aquafina approximately 10 per c t. The rest, including the smaller players, have 20-25 per cent of the market share.'” Shelf Life of Bottled Water In general, a products shelf-life or safe storage time is affected by a number of variables, including intrinsic parameters, such as pH and moisture content, and extrinsic parameters, such as environmental factors. Understanding these variables is the key to maintaining a safe food product. Bottled Water: Indefinite Shelf Life under Optimal Conditions Properly stored bottled water has indefinite shelf life. However, long-term storage of bottled water may result in aesthetic defects, such as off-odour and taste. The IBWA. advises consumers to store bottled water in an unopened container at room temperature (or cooler), out of direct sunlight and away from solvents and chemicals such as gasoline, paint thinners and dry cleaning chemicals, Bottled water is an excellent choice for emergency water storage. The FDA good manufacturing practices mandate that bottled water be produced in a sanitary environment and bottled in sanitary, safety-sealed containers. Enforcement of the Laws by the Government on Bottle Water The laws on municipal drinking water safety have been heavily enforced. In contrast, the laws on bottled water labelling have barely been enforced. One solution would be to adopt intemational standards on bottled water. One of the purposes of the intemational Codex Alimentarius was to develop food standards that protect consumer health. "© www.market research.com 83 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Two of these standards, the General Standard for Bottled/Packaged Drinking Waters (other than natural mineral waters; 2001) and the Standard for Natural Mineral Waters (1981) are available to regulate bottled water. Quebec stepped into the gap with its Regulation Respecting Bottled Water a comprehensive rule for the distribution of bottled. water in the province. It requires a hydro-geological and vulnerability study of source waters for spring and mineral waters; detailed chemical, microbiological and radiochemical information, and standard labels. Bottled Water Association has a model Code, April 2009 that it asks its members to follow. The Code states that “natural water”, i.c., that obtained from an underground or approved natural source, must comply with maximum allowable concentrations of parameters defined in the CDWQ Guidelines. The Code also sets out rules for product quality as well as good manufacturing practices, storage, handling and testing, as well as operational requi ements that include bottlers submitting a hydrogeology report that shows the integrity of the source water supply. It includes monitoring source water and the final product for contamination. Unfortunately, no one enforces this Code.' Bottled Water Law in India The term "mineral water" is misleading because Indian laws do not stipulate the ‘minimum mineral content level required for water to be labelled as such. Ahmedabad-based Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), an independent non-profit institution, with a sophisticated product-testing laboratory, recently carried out a detailed study on 13 major brands of bottled water available in the country. ‘The CERS study indicates that there is an urgent need to revise standards for bottled water. Legal Regulations of Packaged Drinking Water Water is an elixir of life. In India the following agencies are directly or indirectly connected with regulating, monitoring and laying down standards of water 1, Ministry of health and family welfare 2. Bureau of Indian standards under the ministry of food and consumer affairs. 3. Ministry of Rural development ‘utp:/archives. foodsafety.ksu.edu/fsnev2004/1-2004/finet_jan_7.himéstory3 a4 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.4, Ministry of Urban development 5. Ministry of environment and forests, 6. Ministry of water resources. 7. Local bodies. Bottled water regulations Most provincial water quality standards, such as Ontario’s Drinking Water Quality Standards regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002 (SDWA), set maximum limits for microbiological, chemical and radiological parameters for all drinking water in the province. But these rules do not apply to bottled water. Bottled water is regulated, much less tightly, under the federal Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and Regulations. The source of the water need not be disclosed, unless it is labelled a spring” or “mineral” water. (Many bottled waters are actually tap water. For example, Dasani (owned by Coca-Cola) is filtered municipal tap water, bottled in Brampton, Ont., and Calgary. Pepsi’s Aquafina, is essentially the same. Both companies pay less for municipal water, by the way, than consumers do. The bottle label includes: Common name (e.g., “water”), list of ingredients, if more than one , Net quantity, Name, address of responsible company, Fluoride content, For all bottled waters, except spring or mineral water: description of any treatment the water has received (e.g., chlorination, filtration). For spring or mineral water: dissolved mineral salt content, statement as to whether ozone or ‘luoride has been added and geographic location of underground water source. Implication for Policy and Way Forward The developing world is marked with challenges of coping with failing infrastructures, inadequate finance, poor legislation, lack of appropriate institutional capacity for regulation and control and often the political will to enfor The position is complicated by the fact that many of these developing nations are at a loss ‘on how to set standards. Consequently, they resort to dependence on adopted standards, policies and guidelines as presented by international organizations based on scenarios and context in the developed world. Case studies are presented shortly of some on-going succes stories in the packaged water industry. In the cited locations, various levels of 85 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.stakeholder participation led to the birth of solutions that found a right balancing in between safeguarding public health through enactment of regulatory standards and improving social welfare through sustained access to packaged drinking water. There could be possible serious implication of a tenacious focus on such policies, standards and. regulatory approaches imported from developed countries on drinking water access for residents of the developing world as each situation differs in its own respect and has to be treated as such. For example, the WHO bacteriological water guidelines are widely accepted in industrialized as well as developing countries but they are not always achieved in practice. '* Packaged Drinking Water Regulation in India The late nineties marked the commencement of packaged drinking water regulation in India, Solely handled by the Bureau of Indian Standards in collaboration with the Health Ministry, the rules on its safety were drafted into a Prevention of Food. Adulteration Act. The original plan was to come up with a standard that matches with international standards. Given the complexities and the technologies involved in the implementation, the PFA Act however remained vague on the issue of allowable levels of pesticides in packaged drinking water. With growing health concems, a stakeholder meeting between the BIS and the Health Ministry officials marked the declaration of specific allowable limit - no pesticide should exceed 0.0001 mg/litre and total content of pesticide not exceeding 0.005 mg/litre. It was agreed that testing methods and support are to be provided by the BIS. Again, consensus was reached that it will take some time before the necessary changes take effect in the packaged water industry’> Energy Costs Derived from Bottle Manufacturing, Transport, and Disposal In terms of manufacturing costs, the Earth Policy Institute estimates that around 1.5 million tons of plastic are used globally each year in water bottles, or about enough to fuel 100,000 cars. The Berkeley Ecology Centre found that manufacturing PET generates "Jensen P.K, Jayasinghe G, van der Hock W, Caineross S, Dalsgard A: Is there an association between bacteriological drinking water quality and childhood diarthoea in developing countries? Tropical Medicine and International Health 2004, 9(11):1210-1215 "The Times of India: Pesticide content in packaged water to be quantified 2003, Available at bntp/Jatticlestimesofindia, indiatimes, com/2003-02-1 lindia/ 27261339 _1_pesticide-content-pesticide- limits-detectable-levels , Accessed 28th July, 2007 86 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.more than 100 times the toxic emissions in the form of nickel, ethylbenzene, ethylene oxide and benzene compared to making the same amount of glass. Consequently, the Climate Action Network concludes, “making plastic bottles requires almost the same energy input as making glass bottles, despite transport savings that stem from plastic’s light weight.” Moreover, because more than 22 million tons of bottled water is transferred each year from country to country, the distribution of bottled water requires substantially more fuel than delivering tap water. Instead of relying on a mostly pre-existing infrastructure of underground pipes and plumbing, delivering bottled water to North America from far-off places such as Italy, France, Iceland, and the islands of southern Pacific burns fossil fuels and results in the release of thousands of tons of harmful emissions and pollutants. As the Pacific Institute puts it, 2 simple way to visualize the average energy cost required to ‘manufacture plastic bottles fill them with water, transport them to market, and then deal with the bottles as refuse is to imagine filling a quarter of each bottle with oil. In addition, Pacific Institute estimates that it takes twice as water to produce a bottled water product than the amount of water in the bottle itself, Moreover, in a recent study conducted by the Pacific Institute, it was estimated that producing bottled water requires as much as 2000 times the energy cost of producing tap water. Industry Nature and technology The industry is highly fragmented and unorganized in nature. While there are some large players like Degremont, lon Exchange, Thermax, and Larsen & Toubro, there are over 500 small players in the field. The water treatment industry is largely concentrated in certain geographical pockets like Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Some plant manufacturers are present in other areas, but this number is limited. The water treatment equipment industry in India is very cost competitive (30% cheaper) and well established. The water treatment market is moving away from chemical treatment and demineralization (DM) plants to membrane technology. However, several large user segments such as refineries and power plants continue to use DM technology. Zero discharge systems and wastewater recycling are becoming increasingly popular in India. 87 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Effects of Liberalization on Packaged Drinking Water During pre-liberalization era, the concept of packaged drinking water was told as it was a luxury available in five star hotels meant for the consumption of foreigners and elite Indians. It was only after the liberalization of the Industrial sector by the cost of India, many from outside India are interested in starting new industries in India, Accordingly many packaged drinking water industries were started consequently, the concept itself has started gaining currency among the masses of India so much, so that the market of packaged drinking water in India is an exorbitant 1000 crores and it is rapidly growing at 40-50 per cent annually. There are a few large packaged drinking water companies functioning namely, Pepsi, Coca-cola and Bisleri, with the last being the pioneer in this field. Apart from these, certain improvised local brands are also available in the market, namely Aqua-blue, Sabol and the like.'* Though the liberalization policy of India has indeed brought a revolution in the manufacture and introduction of packaged drinking water it is still not perceived as a product for masses. Now, the scene is changing due to low pricing and aggressive marketing strategies adopted by new entrants. Surveys show that truck drivers on highways form a major chunk of bottled water drinkers. Penetration in rural area is another significant factor that is likely to play a key role in the development of the bottled water trade.'* Bottled Water Industry Targets a New Market: The Global South Market reports predict that over the next four years sales of bottled water will grow most quickly in Asia, Latin America and Africa, Recent industry analysis shows that countries in the Global South have the best potential for future growth in bottled water sales. Market reports predict that over the next four years sales of bottled water will grow most quickly in Asia and Latin America due to ‘the poor quality of potable water. Africa is also highlighted as having strong potential for bottled water sales due to unsafe drinking water. In addition to limited access to clean tap water, reports mention the rising, number of people with disposable incomes as a driver for growth in the industry. “ wvweate. org www.bis.ong 88 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.This is all very positive for bottled water companies, but signals a wrong turn in the struggle to bring publicly managed municipal water service to communities and will have severe impact on how populations view the delivery of this basic human right. ‘This opportunity for the bottled water industry is leading to widespread privatization limited. Bottled of drinking water delivery in countries where access to clean tap water water sold for huge profits may bring water to people who need it, but the side effect is the commodification of this basic human right. When populations find that the only way to access drinking water is to buy it in a packaged form, people will come to accept that water, whether from a tap or from a bottle, is something that can be bought and sold on the open market. A system is emerging where only those who can afford it will have access to water. The privatization of drinking water is already well under way in many urban centres in the Global South. In areas where clean tap water is either not available or not safe (or perceived to be not safe) people are already consuming packaged water supplied by for profit producers at an alarming rate. The three global bottled water giants, Groupe Danone, Nestlé and PepsiCo also have the capital and existing global infrastructure to exploit the bottled water boom in the Global South. India, Vietnam, Nigeria and M ico, demonstrate how the rapid growth of bottled water sales is already forging the path towards privatization and is creating risks to health and livelihood along the way. The severe impact the bottled water industry has on the environment in the Global South caused by water takings and the disposal of plastic bottles. Processing of Water for Bottling In India, the quality of drinking water is very poor in comparison to other countries. Treatment of water is required for purification. To produce high quality drinking water as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), conventional processing methods like coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, ion exchange, filtration and oxidation ete. are not sufficient. Membrane processes have advantages over other treatment processes. Micro-filtration and ultrafiltration are said to be very useful in removing micro-organisms, Reverse osmosis membranes are used to remove various contaminants found in drinking water. A combination of reverse osmosis and de-ionisation can be used to produce high quality water. 89 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Bottle Filling Before filling, freshly manufactured plastic bottles are rinsed and inverted from where they go for filling on rotary bottle filler. Water flows from the filler bowl into the bottles via ventra flow valves. These valves use an irlock method for accurate filling. ‘The variation is no more than Smm, When liquid reaches the end of the valve sleeve, air cannot escape. Pressure is created at the top of the bottle, and no more liquid can enter. The airlock method provides consistent, repetitive filling and reduced product loss. The fillers are available in a wide range of configurations and are adaptable to a variety of capping systems. IS : 14543 - 1998 (Specification for Packaged Drinking Water) prescribes the hygienic practices to be followed in respect of collecting water, its treatment, bottling, storage, packaging, transport, distribution and sale for direct consumption , so as to guarantee a safe, hygienic and wholesome product. The bottles are generally capped using roll-on type plastic caps, with pilfer proof rings. Bottle Labelling The last step is the labelling of bottles. In the earlier days, gummed paper labels were used which satisfied only the legal requirements of declaration. When these labels came in contact with moist surface, they lost their identity. Later shrink film plastic labels ‘came into use for this application. Auto-sleeve system for labelling then became a commercial success. Auto-sleeve labels are used both for one way and refillable-multi- trip plastic bottles. It is a stretchable label made of low density polyethylene of special grade, The Department of Health, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has notified to carry the following declaration on the label of the disposable bottle of mineral water or packaged drinking water ["Crush the bottle after use”] The notification was published in the Gazette of India and the rule came into force from 01/04/2004. Other labelling requirements should be as per PFA Rules and Packaged Commodities Rules as prescribed in IS: 14543 — 1998 (Specification for Packaged Drinking Water). 20 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Packaging Requirements It is well known fact that drinking water should be packed in clean, colourless, odourless, clear, tamperproof containers, which are hygienically safe. Much of the water is packaged in similar bottles as carbonated soft drinks, and would, therefore, camry many of the same requirements. Strength Unlike carbonated drinks, the bottles filled with still water need only enough strength to hold water and to survive impact. Colour and clarity Clarity is one of the most important requirements and is the main reason why clear bottles of plastics are used. A resin with higher levels of co-polymer adds to the clarity. As regards the light blue colour in the bottles, this is permissible for one time use bottles. However in India, the BIS (Bureau of India Standards) has preseribed colourless bottles for multi trip/reusable containers. Since currently almost all the bottlers use blue coloured containers, studies have commenced at IIP to establish whether blue colour helps to reduce the UV effect and the percentage of blue colour that could be considered to be added without affecting the clarity of the bottle. Purity Because water is a flavourless product, using a plastic that remains tasteless and odourless is imperative. Mandatory certification To prevent adulteration, the quality of the bottle and its sealing drew great attention and concem, The standardisation of the quality of the water and the bottles was not thought of earlier. There was a concem whether mushrooming brands in packaged drinking water would really ensure quality and safety. The provisions of mandatory BIS certification and that of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) have brought in assurance to the consumers that packaged drinking water is trustworthy. The Indian Standard IS: 14543 — 1998 prescribes the quality and safety requirements of packaged drinking water. 1 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Plastic package types As the market has evolved, so too has its packaging mix. Bottles may be the favourite container for packaging water, but glass rarely features as the first choice today. Glass together with cans and cartons have a diminished share, Glass retains a high profile in outlets where the water is for consumption on the premises (hotels, restaurants, cafes) remaining, particularly strong in Central and South America and Europe, especially Germany. Plastics are versatile materials and are in many cases capable of matching or surpassing the characteristics of other types of packages. They do not corrode, are hygienic, lightweight and ofien provide opportunities for reducing the weight of the packages used. A variety of polymers are available which can be used for packaging of drinking water. Polyethylene Low-density polyethylene film is the most important group of plastics used in packaging drinking water. Polyolefin also have the highest calorific value of all constituents in the packaging waste stream and are, therefore, prime candidates for disposal through incineration with energy recovery. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) PET is the most extensively recycled plastic of the present time, Tt is easier to collect than other plastics. It has a high intrinsic value, is economic to recycle even with existing collection systems and there are well-developed markets for its recycling, such as carpet fibres and fibre film. The important feature of used PET is its ability to be converted chemically to the monomer from whieh it was produced using hydrolysis or methonolysis. The US Food & Drug Administration for food-packaging applications has approved PET produced by chemical recovery of this sort. For packaged drinking water PET bottles are used in 50m to 20 litres capacity. Perrier has developed a new container that incorporates a layer of nylon sandwiched between layers of PET to comply with the requirement for a standard 12 months shelf-life mineral water. Polypropylene (PP) Polypropylene (random. clarified co-polymer) is widely used for food contact applications throughout the world and enjoys favourable status with food and 92 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www. verypdf.com to remove this watermark.regulatory agencies. PP containers/cups with peelable lids are used for packaging of drinking water in 100, 200ml, Capacities with suitable lids for closures. Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) Earlier, the most commonly used package for mineral water was stretch blow moulded bottle of PVC, as PVC is rigid, clear and has adequate impact strength. Compared to other polymers, PVC requires lower amount of energy to produce. If collected separately. it can be readily recycled. The recycled PVC is sandwiched between inner and outer layers of virgin polymer in co-extruded PVC pipes. The major concern for safe use of PVC for non-toxic and food contact applications is the residual monomer level in the resin, The FDA in USA and regulatory agencies has specified the monomer levels at Sppm in PVC resin. PVC containers in capacities of 100, 200, 250 and 1000ml are used for packaged drinking water. Polycarbonate (PC) Polycarbonate can be processed into useful end products by any of the usual processing techniques like extrusion, blow moulding, injection moulding ete, Polycarbonate containers are popularly used for multi-trip application for mineral water containers of 15-20 litres. Polyethylene Naphithate (PEN) This is a high performance resin and the containers made out of this resin are used for refillable, returnable mineral water. HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) Containers cater to the 200ml mineral water market, These containers are provided with heat sealable peel able lids. '° * PET Planet Insider, Vol. 4, No. 2, 03, Water Dri ss Global by Canadean, U.K, 93 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.Table- 3.3 ‘The Content and Substances of Packaged Drinking Water S.No Characteristics Requirement 1. | Colour Not more than 2 Hazen units! True Color Units 2. | Odour Agreeable 3. | Taste Agreeable 4. | Turbidity Not more than 2 nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU) 5, | Total Dissolved Solids Not more than 500 mg/litre 6. | pH 65-85 7. | Nitrates (as NOs) Not more than 45 mgylitre 8, | Nitrites (as NO2) Not more than 0,02 mg/litre 9, | Sulphide (as HS) ‘Not more than 0.05 mg/litre 10. | Mineral oil Not more than 0.01 mg/litre 11. | Phenolic compounds (as CsHsOH) _| Not more than 0.001 mgflitre 12. | Manganese (as Mn) Not more than 0.1 mg/litre 13. | Copper (as Cu) Not more than 0.05 mg/litre 14, | Zine (as Zn) Not more than 5 me/litre 15. | Fluoride (as F) Not more than 1.0 mg/litre 16, | Barium (as Ba) ‘Not more than 1.0 mgylitre 17. | Antimony (as Sb) Not more than 0.005 me/litre 18. | Nicke as Ni) Not more than 0,02 mg/litre 19. | Borate (as B) Not more than 5 me/litre 20. | Anionic surface active agent Not more than 0.2 mg/litre (as MBAS) 4 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.S.No Characteristics Requirement 21. Silver(as Ag) Not more than 0.01 mg/litre 22, Chlorides(as C;) Not more than 200 mg/litre Sulphate(as SO.) Not more than 200 mg/litre 24, Magnesium(as Mg) Not more than 30 mgylitre 28. Caleium(as Ca) Not more than 75 mgylitre 26. Sodium(as Na) ‘Not more than 200 mg/litre 21. Alkalinity(as HCOs) ‘Not more than 200 mg/litre 28. Arsenic(as As) Not more than 0.05 mg/litre 29, Cadmium(as Cd) Not more than 0.01 mg/litre Cyanide(as CN) Not more than 0.05 mg/litre Chromium(as Cr) Not more than 0.05 mg/litre Mercury(as Hg) Not more than 0.001 mg/litre Lead(as Pb) Not more than 0.01 mg/litre Selenium(as Se) Not more than 0.01 mg/litre Iron(as Fe) Not more than 0.1 mg/litre 36, Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Not detectable 37. Poly nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons Not detectable 38, Aluminium(as A:) Not more than 0.03 mg/litre 39, Residual free chlorine Not more than 0.2 mgilitre 40. Pesticide Residues Below detectable limits 4l "Alpha" activity ‘Not more than 0.1 Bacquerel/litre 42. "Beta" activity Not more than I pico curie/l (pCi) Yeast and mould counts 1 250ml Absent 95 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.S.No Characteristics Requirement 44. | Salmonella and Shigella 1 250ml Absent 45. | E.coli or thermotolerant bacteria 1 Absent 250ml 46. | Coliform bacteria 1 250ml Absent 47. | Faecal Streptococci and Absent Staphylococcus aureus 1 250ml 48, | Pseudomonas aeruginose 1 250ml Absent 49, | Sulphite reducing anaerobes] 250ml Absent 50. | Vibriocholera and V.Parahaemolyticus Absent 1250ml 51. | Aerobie Microbial count The total viable colony count shall not exceed 100 per ml at 20°c 10 22°e in 72h on agar-agar or on agar-gelatin mixture, and 20 per ml at 37°c in 24 h. on agar-agar. It is needless to mention that water, a compound of Hydrogen and Oxygen is a precious natural gift which is very es ential for survival of mankind including animals. The water used for potable purposes should be free from undesirable impurities, Water available from untreated sources such as well, boreholes and springs is generally not ‘rable and n hygienic and safe for drinking, Thus it is d ry to purify the water and supply under hygienic conditions for human drinking purpose. As the name implies, the mineral water is the purified water fortified with requisite amounts of minerals such as Barium, Iron, Manganese, etc. This can be absorbed by human body. It is either obtained from natural resources like spring and drilled wells or it is fortified artificially by blending and treating with mineral salts. Mineral water shall be manufactured and packed under hygienic conditions in properly washed and cleaned bottles in sterilised conditions. The trend indicates that lightweight, resilient and affordable PET is increasingly the packaging medium of choice. Almost 7 out of every 10 litres of water now appear in PET - a significant increase from 96 Please purchase PDF Split-Merge on www.verypdf.com to remove this watermark.