Key facts and figures

Did you know that.

• It is estimated that we buy three billion bottles of water each year in the UK - most of it in non-recyclable containers which can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.
• Half a billion bottles are flown or shipped in from overseas creating a huge carbon footprint.
• Water is heavy and transporting bottles of it around the country is estimated to create around 30,000 tons of C02 emissions - equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 6,000 homes.
• A litre of tap water costs around 1p. According to the Consumer Council for Water, an adult drinking the recommended eight glasses a day would pay £1 a year from the tap compared to £500 for a mid-range mineral water. 
• In the North West we enjoy some of the highest quality tap water in the world. 
• Hundreds of samples of water are analysed by United Utilities' specialists each day to ensure that it meets stringent national and European standards. Over half a million measurements of water quality are made at water treatment works, service reservoirs, supply points and at consumers' taps each year. More than 99.92% of water tests at customers' taps meet the required standards for drinking water quality.
• There are no proven health benefits of bottled water over tap and blind taste tests show that most people fail to identify one over the other. 
• The health benefits of drinking around eight glasses of water a day and keeping well hydrated are well understood. This is even more important for children, so families should not feel they have to bear the unnecessary extra cost of buying bottled water. 
• Between 2000 and 2006 United Utilities invested £700 million in improving drinking water quality. By 2011, the company will have invested a further £1.2 billion on further improvements.