Bottled water king
People all around the world need to quench their thirst. And while many lack access to any source of clean water, there are others who indulge in drinking
plenty of the bottled varieties. Which of the following countries consumes the most bottled water on a per person basis?
ANSWERS: A. United States B. United Arab Emirates C. Mexico D. Italy
A. United States is not correct.
Americans drink 90.5 liters of bottled water per year, ranking them 11th in per person consumption, according to a study done by the Beverage Marketing Corporation in more than 70 countries. However, at 25.8 billion liters, the United States leads the world total consumption.
While the United States produces 94 percent of its bottled water domestically, it also imports brands from as far away as Fiji. Unfortunately, Americans fail to recycle approximately 86 percent of the plastic bottles that can take 1,000 years to decompose.
B. United Arab Emirates is not correct.
The 2.6 million people of the United Arab Emirates are the third-largest consumer of bottled water on a per person basis, taking in 163.5 liters per person per year. This is more than Saudi Arabians, who drink 87.8 liters per year and the Lebanese, who drink 101.4 liters per year.
This means that the United Arab Emirates' per person water consumption is nearly seven times the global average of 24.2 liters per person per year.
C. Mexico is not correct.
The southern neighbor of the United States consumes the second-highest total of bottled water in the world both in aggregate terms and on a per person basis. In fact, Mexicans drink 85 percent more bottled water than people in the United States.
Interestingly, there is no guarantee that bottled water is any healthier than tap water. In fact, excessive intake of mineral additives can cause adverse health effects, especially in developed countries that have access to safe tap water.
D. Italy is correct.
The average Italian consumes 183.6 liters of bottled water per year, more than in any other country and 30 -45 percent more than elsewhere in Western Europe. The amount is roughly equal to two glasses of bottled water per day.
At around $0.65 per liter (or about $2.50 per gallon), people around the world spend more than $100 billion on bottled water every year. By comparison, the UN's Millennium Development Project estimates that $30 billion is required yearly to meet the project's goal of halving the number of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015.
The Globalist Quiz is produced by The Globalist, a research organization based in Washington that promotes awareness of world affairs. © 2006 The Globalist, www.theglobalist.com. 
