This product comes to you from a “Public Water Source.”

“If this helps clarify the fact that the water originates from public sources, then it’s a reasonable thing to do,” said Michelle Naughton, a Pepsi-Cola North America spokeswoman.

Yes, reasonable after you’ve been caught. The difference between Aquafina and Coca-Cola’s Dasani are that both are made from purified water sourced from public reservoirs, as opposed to Danone’s Evian or Nestle’s Poland Spring which come from so-called “spring waters” that the companies say have notably cleaner water.

This article at CNN entitled Aquafina labels to spell out source explains that:

“Concerns about the bottled-water industry, and increasing corporate control of water, are growing across the country,” said Gigi Kellett, director of the “Think Outside the Bottle” campaign, which aims to encourage people to drink tap water.

San Francisco’s mayor banned city employees from using city funds to buy bottled water when tap water is available. Ann Arbor, Michigan passed a resolution banning commercially bottled water at city events and Salt Lake City, Utah asked department heads to eliminate bottled water.

Critics charge the bottled water industry adds plastic to landfills, uses too much energy by producing and shipping bottles across the world and undermines confidence in the safety and cleanliness of public water supplies, all while much of the world’s population is without access to clean water.

There is no mention in the article about the astronomically steep fines both companies should be forced to pay for their flagrant deceit.