Introduction of Aquafina Water
Aquafina Water is produced by a popular soft drink company called PepsiCo. The purified water brand is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, as it was created in Wichita, Kansas in 1994.
While Aquafina is certainly not the first bottled water to be introduced to the market, its quarter-century in the game makes it a mainstay amongst the economy-priced options along with Dasani (Coca Cola) and Deja Blue (Keurig Dr. Pepper).
Aquafina spent a few years around Wichita being tested amongst consumers before entering the mainstream bottled water market in 1997. From there, the brand has grown to be distributed globally in over a dozen countries.
Like many other brands, Aquafina spent some time atop the bottled water retail sales ranks. The brand officially hit the number one spot in 2009.
Aquafina Water is admittedly purified water meaning it is tap water that has been purified with various methods prior to bottling.
In 2007, notably before its rise to the number one selling bottled water brand, a note was added to the labeling clearly indicating its publicly sourced product. In Canada, the message is slightly more obscure. It reads, “Demineralized Treated Water.”
The Aquafina brand has expanded beyond its Pure Water offering to include flavored waters that come in both still and sparkling formats.
Aquafina Water Prices
Fortunately, the price of bottled water varies along a small spectrum. The overall cost is dependant on several factors including the type of water source, bottling practices, and production and distribution costs.
Aquafina is produced in 40 different locations across the United States and Canada. This excess of facilities allows the brand to remain economical by reducing the cost of distribution.
Aquafina vs Other Bottles
Aquafina is rightly considered an economical bottle of water, coming in at the same price point as other brands in the category. It is important to keep in mind that Aquafina is purified water and cannot tout the natural sourcing that brands like Fiji can.
A comparison against Dasani may be more appropriate, as it is a direct competitor from the “other” soda company called Coca Cola. Dasani is also purified water using local municipal sources (tap water).
For a 24-pack of the same approximate size bottle, Aquafina is about 40 cents more, on average than a 24-pack of Dasani water. Obviously, this price difference varies by vendor.
Attempts at Environmentalism
When comparing bottles of purified water, it can be a challenge to find any comparison aside from the price labeled on the shelf. However, there are some ways that each brand tries to differentiate itself from the rest.
One such point of comparison is the environmental perspective being displayed by each bottled water brand. Aquafina has taken strides lately to join the movement of reducing waste and pollution created during production.
If you have consumed a bottle of Aquafina water recently, you may notice that the plastic felt flimsy or light. In 2009, the company took steps to reduce the weight of its bottle by 50%. This step both reduces plastic waste and improves the efficiency of distribution methods.
Why Pay for Tap Water?
Consumers may be surprised to hear that any bottled water comes from a tap. As is the case with Aquafina, many major water brands use local water as the source of their product.
However, for those concerned with water quality in their area, Aquafina takes several steps to purify the water well beyond EPA and USDA standards. Reverse osmosis, UV light, ozone treatment, and charcoal filtration are all purification methods used on the water before it is bottled.
Common Aquafina Water Prices List
Type | Size | Avg Price |
---|---|---|
Aquafina Purified Water | 24 x 16.9 oz | $6.39 |
32 x 16.9 oz | $4.98 | |
8 x 12 oz | $2.98 | |
Aquafina Sparkling Mango Pineapple | 8 x 12 oz. Can | $3.99 |
Aquafina Sparkling Black Cherry Dragonfruit | 8 x 12 oz. Can | $3.99 |
Aquafina Sparkling Lemon Lime | 8 x 12 oz. Can | $3.99 |
Aquafina Sparkling Orange Grapefruit | 8 x 12 oz. Can | $3.99 |
Aquafina Water Ingredients
The Pure water by Aquafina has a limited ingredient list of water and water. However, the brand does have sparkling and flavored water options that contain some added ingredients.
The sparkling water line has multiple flavors. None of them feature added sugars but do contain some other ingredients including the following: Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (a preservative), Aspartame, Calcium Disodium (flavor saver).
Sparkling comes in the following flavors:
The FlavorSplash line does contain sucralose, which is a sugar alternative. This flavored water comes in the following flavors:
Type (20 oz) | Calories | Sodium | Potassium | Protein |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aquafina Purified Water | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Aquafina Sparkling | 0 | 10mg | 0 | 0 |
The pH of Aquafina falls between 5.5 and 7. The pH level of Aquafina FlavorSplash is approximately 3. The pH of bottled water does not impact the taste and is often affected by the mineral content in the water and its added ingredients.
Where Does Aquafina Water Come From?
Since the cat was let out of the bag earlier, you should already know that Aquafina Pure Water and its other water products come from the same water supply as the taps surrounding each production facility.
Aquafina has 40 facilities it uses to produce water for distribution to the countless vendors around the globe. Each of these plants uses the local municipal water supply. In order to know where the water in your Aquafina bottle came from, you would have to determine where it was bottled.