World
Bottled Water Flies Off the Shelves in Rio as Taps Run Dry
- Companies are boosting capacity as demand surges amid crisis
- Doubts about water quality put state water utility in hot seat
This article is for subscribers only.
Companies are struggling to meet Rio de Janeiro’s surging demand for bottled water as taps that were already supplying the population with a foul tasting, smelly liquid suddenly ran dry.
Sales of mineral water jumped 50% between December and January, according to the sector’s union, and logistic plans had to be reworked. Supermarket chains are enlisting new suppliers and increasing deliveries to the city -- already a hot market during the Southern hemisphere’s summer, when temperatures often top 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit).