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Bottled water is drinking water (e.g., well water, distilled water, reverse osmosis water, mineral water, or spring water) packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not, with packaging sizes ranging from small single serving bottles to large carboys for water coolers.
By 1975, bottled water sales exceeded milk sales for the first time in the United States—representing a major shift in the American consumer psyche. Just a decade earlier, bottled water was a niche product purchased mainly by the affluent or for traveling.
When Was Bottled Water Invented? Although people have stored their water in different containers since the beginning of civilization, the first commercial water bottling happened in 1622 in the United Kingdom.
1977 to 1981. Perrier positions itself as “Earth’s First Soft Drink” with a series of print and television ads, benchmarking the moment when bottled water begins its commercial dominance (although the initial boom is just for sparkling mineral water — not flat water).
The Start of the American Bottled Water Industry. The first commercially distributed water originated in 1767 at Jackson’s Spa in Boston. Around the same time, other companies followed the trend. For instance, many companies in Saratoga Springs started heavily investing in bottled water.
In the 1970s, just 350 million gallons of bottled water were being sold in the United States—about a gallon and a half per person per year. Much of that came in the big five-gallon jugs used in office water coolers; the rest made up a niche market of mineral waters bottled from natural springs.
In Geneva, Switzerland, bottled water enjoyed a significant milestone when Johann Jacob Schweppe discovered a way to carbonate water. This discovery gave water a fizzy quality that matched that of mineral water.
The story of bottled water doesn’t end with still water; it extends to carbonated varieties. In 1783, Johann Jacob Schweppe introduced the world to bottled and carbonated mineral water, founding the renowned Schweppes company.
Bottled water gained popularity in the late 20th century, evolving from medicinal mineral waters in the 1700s to a global industry worth billions today, driven by concerns over tap water quality and clever marketing strategies. We’ve put together a short timeline of bottled water to tell its story.
Drinking bottled water is a refreshing way for someone to quench their thirst, but the industry got its start years ago for medicinal purposes.