By Kelly McDowell, Wisconsin Beverage Association   Published Dec 26, 2008 at 1:15 PM

The opinions expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the opinions of OnMilwaukee.com, its advertisers or editorial staff.

This letter is in response to the recent article on bottled water bans, ("Should Milwaukee Ban the Bottle?" Dec. 17), which provided only one side of the story on bottled water.

The reality is that bottled water is much more than tap water. Our member companies use scientifically tested procedures, including multi-stage filtering and reverse osmosis, to ensure that their water is as pure and fresh as possible.

Further the beverage industry is a leader among the food-products industry in minimizing its environmental footprint. Our bottled water containers are 100 percent recyclable and our companies support community recycling projects from coast to coast. We are reducing packaging to use less plastic, incorporating more fuel-efficient fleet vehicles and using energy efficient buildings.

Quite simply, millions of consumers trust us because we are committed to providing them with products that are refreshing, convenient and, above all, safe. For more information about bottled water and recycling, visit www.ameribev.org.