History Of Bottled Water – In brief
While many believe that bottled water came about because of the need to stay hydrated on the go, there is actually a more significant reason as to why it became so popular. There are a number of important periods that led to the commercialization of water.
The history of portable bottled water starts as early as the development of agriculture, which required capturing, storing, and distributing water. Later, Egyptians actually devised filtration systems in order to filter water from the Nile, which they then stored in clay pots.
Water has always been viewed as a necessary part of life, whether it was because of hygiene, hydration, or any of the other common uses for water. But it wasn’t until the 18th century that it became famous for its healing properties. As personal hygiene became more important in late 18th century Europe, the rich began to ‘take the waters’, which involved trips to mineral springs that they believed had curative properties. As the curative waters became more and more popular, the water was sold in stoneware jars, porcelain-demi jars, and eventually bottles.
However it was France who truly began to capitalize on water sources, with Evian being the first thermal bath to open in 1821. Two years later it began selling water in earthenware, though it wasn’t until 1920 that it was sold in bottles. It is believed that Malvern in England was the first company in Europe to introduce bottled water.
Native Americans were another group who utilized thermal mineral springs for their physical, mental, and spiritual health. Because of the supposed healing powers of these sources, these water sources were eventually bottled in 1767 and sold as a curative.
In the beginning, bottled water was mainly sold as a curative or a drink that only the wealthy could afford. For this reason, soda waters eventually took their place. Once chlorine was introduced into the water supply of many first world countries, the need for bottled water dramatically decreased. Today, it still remains a popular way to consume water, but does not provide the health benefits it did in the beginning.
History Of Bottled Water – Conclusion
In the last 10 to 20 years our water has become more contaminated from fracking, illegal waste discharge from factories and more recently, the finding of pharmaceuticals in municipal water supplies. So once again, bottled water has obvious and definite health benefits for us all. History seems to go in cycles – how long before the water provided by local government once again decreases the need for bottled water?