The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing areas of the United States, Fueled by massive spending in the areas of Defense and Homeland Security, Washington D.C and parts of Northern Virginia and Maryland have seen a major influx in professional workers who fill high paying jobs in government agencies and contractors supporting the government.



Rapid Growth Spurs Construction

This migration has stimulated a housing boom in Northern Virginia and key counties in Maryland .As an example Loudoun County in Virginia is ranked as the fastest growing county in the country. New housing units are emerging at a rapid pace and the price range of new construction is increasing as well. This trend reflects the fact that younger, well paid individuals and families are demanding better quality housing to enhance their careers and lifestyle.

This new construction however has placed a heavy burden on the local infrastructure particularly the local water table. Local municipalities are under significant pressure to supply pure drinking water and the Metropolitan area has had trouble keeping pace with development. Tap water contains chlorine, fluoride and other elements that could impair a healthy lifestyle. Well water is subject to multiple sources of contamination.In order to obtain a reliable supply of pure drinking water, many homes and owners of small businesses have turned to local delivery of bottled water.

Health Orientation of a Growing Population

In addition to local concerns about the water table, many families and businesses are interested in raising the health level of their families and employees. With the advent of health oriented articles in the internet, a greater awareness of health in the media and business sponsored health fairs in the Metropolitan area, many see pure drinking water as a basic element of good health.

Pure Drinking Water as an Important Element of Health

The are many forms of drinking water from wells to bottled water including municipality treated drinking water but all but purified water contain minerals and particles that may prove damaging to the human body. Purified water is defined by the Food and Drug Administration and refers to water that is treated through the process of distillation and filtration and oxygenated. Distillation and filtration in combination removes 99.9% of all particles in water while oxygenation kills any remaining bacteria and adds flavor to distilled water. The result is a light tasting crisp drink that is essential to good health without the use of potentially harmful chemicals .

Distilled oxygenated drinking water is considered by many to be the best form of bottled drinking water.

Home/Office Delivery Adds Convenience and Saves Money

In addition to quality, convenience is important. Delivery to the home/office on a regular and predetermined schedule is critical to customer satisfaction. An important part of the delivery process is the pick up of empty bottles and the proper billing of accounts. If the schedule is not managed properly shortages or missed deliveries occur resulting is great customer dissatisfaction.

Errors in billing cause great customer dissatisfaction and impair the service commitment to the customer. Because of the large number of relatively small transactions, billing problems are likely to occur unless billing oversight is part of the customer service culture.

Home or office delivery of water in 5 gallon bottles is the most cost effective way of purchasing high quality drinking water due to more cost effective packaging and economies of scale. Since 5 gallon bottles are heavier the consumer should consider those suppliers with easy to use handles and no-spill caps,

Customer Satisfaction - The Key to a Successful Relationship

In the Bottled Water business, the relationship with the customer is a mandatory requirement for success. There are many elements to customer satisfaction including:

- A quality product offering

- Scheduled deliveries that are frequent and comply with the customer's needs

- Delivery employees that are professional and responsive to customer needs

- Delivery vehicles that are new and well maintained

- Ability to exchange empty bottles on a consistent basis

- Proper billing of shipments and returns

- Proper communications in the event of problems - ability to speak with a human being

- A culture of serving the customer and prioritizing customer interests

Many companies talk about serving the customer but few fulfill that promise. Customer service is more than the intent to serve the customer's need. What is required is investment in infrastructure and human resources required to identify customer needs, develop plans of action to solve problems and have the authority to correct customer service problems. A company that is not willing to invest resources in the customer service promise makes only an empty promise.

What to Look For In a Bottled Water Supplier

The choice of a bottled water supplier is critical to the health needs of a family or a business. Purity of product is paramount only to be equaled by outstanding customer service. A Bottled Water company makes a promise to provide quality and service to all its customers. Look for a company with a reputation for quality and a culture of performance..

Resources:

Water Purity

Water: How much should you drink every day?

Bottled Water Better Than the Tap?

Do you know where your drinking water comes from?

EPA Drinking Water and Health: What You Need to Know

EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water Frequently Asked Questions

Model Code, Bottled Water Industry IDS-Water Americas

Sources of Groundwater Contamination

Arsenic in ground water of the United States

EPA Water Drinking Water Private Drinking Water Wells Basic Information

WHO Bottled drinking water

EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water Drinking Water andHealth National Primary Drinking Water Regulations InorganicChemicals

EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water MTBE in Drinking Water

EPA Drinking Water for Kids Children and Drinking Water Standards

Teflon Chemical Found In Spring Water

Distilled Water

http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/nc/water_distilled.asp

http://www.livingnutrition.com/water.html

http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA21181/