At Del Posto in New York, customers have the option to split a $130 dish of wild branzino fish with roasted fennel and peperonata concentrato, as well as a $3,600 bottle of Dom Perignon. However, they are not allowed to split a bottle of Perrier or San Pellegrino water. This Italian restaurant, supported by famous personalities Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich, is among those rejecting bottled water, in addition to San Francisco and the state of New York. Bastianich, who is gradually eliminating bottled water from his chain of restaurants that extends to Los Angeles, stated that the argument for local water is convincing and evident. He emphasized the issues related to transportation, packaging, and the nonsensical practice of transporting water globally. Beverage companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, and SABMiller are increasingly aware of the negative consumer environmental perceptions that are affecting their sales of bottled water. With water becoming scarcer, there is a concern that prices could rise significantly, prompting these companies to take action to maintain access to water and improve their public image. Steve Dixon, who manages the Global Beverage Fund at Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder, emphasized the importance of water by stating that "water is the new oil," highlighting the growing concerns around climate change and population growth impacting water supplies. Dixon acknowledged that while there may always be enough water in reality, it is crucial to address consumer perceptions as they play a significant role in shaping public opinion. Brooke Barton, who manages corporate accountability for Ceres, a network of environmental groups and investors focused on sustainability, stated that around one-third of the global population currently resides in regions experiencing water stress. She predicted that by 2025, this number will increase to approximately two-thirds. Although water is currently inexpensive, Andy Wales, head of sustainable development at SABMiller, a brewer that utilized 94.5 billion liters of water in its most recent fiscal year, emphasized that water costs are expected to rise in the future. This amounts to 4.5 liters of water used for every liter of beer produced. Water and energy expenses make up only 5 percent of total costs, with brewing ingredients, bottling materials, and labor being the main expenses. The cost of water is increasing at a Bogota, Colombia plant due to soil erosion and deforestation caused by cattle grazing upstream. New water pricing systems, like the European Union's Water Framework Directive, are being introduced to promote sustainable water use. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of global water usage, while industry uses 20 percent. However, any industry that relies on agriculture, whether it be meat production or clothing manufacturing, faces more challenges than just their own water consumption. SABMiller, along with companies like Coke and Pepsi, are beginning to calculate their "water footprints." They have discovered that the water used throughout their supply chain, such as for growing barley and hops, can be significantly higher than their own direct water usage. With 139 breweries spread across six continents, SABMiller's total water consumption can vary greatly, from 40 liters for a liter of beer in Central Europe to 155 liters in South Africa. Based on a smaller ratio, SABMiller's overall "water footprint" was approximately 8.4 trillion liters of water last year, more than double the amount used by the entire nation of Iceland in 2004. "In the long term, we view it as a risk," stated Wales. Multinational drink companies are taking steps to address criticism by setting water conservation goals, building community wells and more efficient factories, collaborating with locals on sustainable farming, water harvesting, and reforestation, and exploring new technologies to reduce water consumption while increasing production. According to Greg Koch, Coke's managing director of global water stewardship, companies with a direct connection to water must take on this responsibility. Despite nonalcoholic drink makers using only 0.03 percent of groundwater in the United States, their visibility in water usage puts them at the forefront of the water resources debate, as noted by Kim Jeffery, chief executive of Nestle Waters North America. Jeffery compared criticism of his industry to a gnat bothering an elephant, as his contract to build a bottling plant in McCloud, California faces opposition from residents and environmental groups. Nestle has begun a 3-year study of the area's resources, but Jeffery believes the project may not come to fruition due to changing economics and hesitancy on both sides. Tom Pirko of Bevmark LLC emphasized the importance of companies aligning with consumer values, citing Coca-Cola's experience in Kerala, India, where their bottling plant was shut down amid accusations of depleting the water table. Coke claimed that its plant was not the cause of the shortages, but there was still widespread backlash globally, with students in Britain and North America calling for boycotts. Smith College in Massachusetts even ended a long-standing relationship with the company by not allowing them to bid for their soft drink contract. Koch stated that the loss of the social license to operate was significant. Environmental and community organizations are continuing to push for Coke to be removed from other villages in India.