From today’s b

Americans can get their water for free from a faucet — yet we can’t seem to get enough of it in bottles.

As soda sales have flattened, Americans consumed 8.8 billion gallons of bottled water in 2007, a 6.9 percent increase over 2006, according to a recent report. The dollar sales are rising even faster — up 7.8 percent, to $11.7 billion.

What’s going on? For one, increased dedication to a healthful lifestyle, according to the study. And consumers are also going gaga over specialty waters such as vitaminwater, Propel and smartwater. At the same time, there’s a budding industry of filtered water accessories.

For a product as simple as water, the choices are increasingly complicated.

“Some people would argue it’s a good thing, the idea of so many different versions out there,” said Rosellina Ferraro, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Maryland-College Park. “It’s being able to provide the consumer with something that they want.”

Ferraro, whose research focuses on different facets of consumer behavior, said there’s a significant convenience factor when choosing bottled water instead of tap.

“Sure, you can pour your own water at home, but it’s easier if you buy it at the store,” she said.

Add in the fact of recent reports questioning the safety of tap water and bottled water sales will probably continue to rise, she said. Last month, an Associated Press investigation uncovered a mix of minute levels of pharmaceuticals, including mood stabilizers and sex hormones, in the drinking water supplies of 41 million Americans. The story did not test Baltimore’s water, and the Baltimore Department of Public Works — which provides 265 million gallons of water daily — did not wish to comment on this story.

At the same time, environmental advocates are pushing back against bottled water and the increased waste it produces.

Still, the differences between bottled and tap water may not be as significant as generally thought.

“When you look at bottled and tap water, it’s basically the same thing,” said Janet Larsen, the director of research for Washington, D.C.-based Earthy Policy Institute. “Pepsi [which manufacturers Aquafina] recently made an announcement that it will put on its labels that it comes from a public water source or they write PWS. That means it’s just processed tap water.”

Are specialty waters loudly promoting the inclusion of zinc, magnesium, vitamins and other nutrients really necessary dietary inclusions?

“The truth is, if you eat a healthy diet you get the vitamins you need,” said Kathy Gould, a registered dietician and nutritionist in the Towson University health sciences department. “If you’re eating the right fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats … you don’t need something like vitaminwater.”

Gould did say vitaminwater and its bottled brethren such as Propel and smartwater do a nice job of including beneficial ingredients. Propel and vitaminwater include a host of B vitamins, which Gould said are also found in whole and enriched grains and pastas. Vitamin E is found in most nuts. The “multi-v” smartwater label states that, per serving, each bottle includes 25 percent of one’s daily intake of a slew of vitamins, including B3, B6 and E. Smartwater boasts its inclusion of electrolytes, which Gould said are needed for overall fluid balance.

But Gould suggested looking closely at each specialty water label. Propel and vitaminwater contain sugar. Each bottle of Propel contains 5 grams of sugar. There’s 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of “multi-v” vitaminwater, which Gould said approaches the same sugar levels in a can of soda.

“None of these products are dangerous,” Gould said. “But you should ask yourself, ‘Do you really need this?’”

Jordan Bartel

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