$75 Water: Worth It, or Money Down the Drain?

Feb. 17, 2007 — -- Americans spent more than $10 billion on bottled water last year. Now, a new generation of luxury bottled water, with upscale packaging and price tags to match, is flooding the marketplace.

Bling H2O is one of the new high-end breeds. Its bottle, covered in Swarovski crystals, contains spring water from Tennessee.

"People are paying $40, $55, $60, $75 a bottle for the water, depending on where you purchase it in the hospitality industry," said Kevin Boyd, Bling H2O's creator. "It's definitely worth it. It's premium water, in premium packaging, that merits a premium price tag."

King Island Cloud Juice's bottle isn't anything out of the ordinary. Its real treasure, Tasmanian rainwater, is inside. Lauquen, one of the world's lightest waters, hails from exotic Patagonia.

Le Bleu bills itself as the only "ultra pure" water on the market. Despite its French sounding name, the "premier" water is processed and packaged in North Carolina.

The new trend is a far cry from the days when nothing said luxury, purity and vitality like the sparkling waters of Perrier. Machael Mascha, author of "Fine Waters," pointed out that plain old Poland Spring was once considered premium.

"Looking back, Poland Spring was a very prestigious water. Fiji, a couple of years ago, was a very prestigious water," he said.

Now, for some consumers, only the best of the best will suffice. Diane Felicissimo carries 24 brands of luxury water in her suburban New York eatery, Via Genova, to satisfy her discerning customers.

"These waters are filled with calcium, magnesium, potassium, a little hint of sodium -- whatever the body needs, they can basically open up my menu and pick it out," Felicissimo said. "I tend to drink the water with the silica, because I enjoy the water and what it will do for my hair and nails."

Dr. Mel Suffet of the UCLA School of Public Health, who has studied bottled water, said high-end waters are no better for consumers than cheaper brands, or even water from the tap.