At New York's Del Posto, customers have the option to split a $130 dish of wild branzino fish with roasted fennel and peperonata concentrato and a $3,600 bottle of Dom Perignon. However, they are not allowed to split a bottle of Perrier or San Pellegrino water. The Italian restaurant, founded by Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich, is among those choosing to not serve bottled water, along with San Francisco and New York state. Bastianich, who is gradually eliminating bottled water from all his restaurants, including those in Los Angeles, believes that using local water makes more sense due to the environmental impact of transporting and packaging water. Companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, and SABMiller are increasingly aware of the negative impact of environmental concerns on sales of bottled water, which has traditionally been a profitable market. As water scarcity becomes a growing issue, these beverage companies are taking steps to address consumer perceptions and ensure continued access to water resources. According to Steve Dixon of Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder, water is now being compared to oil in terms of importance, and companies are working to combat the perception that they are wasteful with water. Despite believing that there will always be enough water overall, Dixon recognizes the importance of addressing consumer perceptions in order to maintain a positive image. Brooke Barton, manager of corporate accountability for Ceres, a network of environmental groups and investors, stated that currently, about a third of the world's population resides in regions facing water stress. She predicts that by 2025, this number will increase to around two-thirds. Andy Wales, head of sustainable development for SABMiller, a brewery that used 94.5 billion liters of water in its latest fiscal year, emphasized that water is currently inexpensive, but this may change in the future. This equates to 4.5 liters of water used for every liter of beer produced. Water and energy costs make up only 5 percent of total expenses, with brewing ingredients, bottling materials, and labor overshadowing them. However, the brewer mentioned that water costs at a Bogota, Colombia plant are increasing by about 12 percent annually due to soil erosion caused by cattle grazing upstream leading to deforestation. New water pricing strategies, such as the European Union's Water Framework Directive, are being introduced to tax water starting in 2010 in order to promote more sustainable usage. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of global water usage, while industry uses 20 percent. However, any industry that depends on agriculture, whether it is meat or denim production, faces challenges beyond its direct water consumption. SABMiller, along with companies like Coke and Pepsi, is taking into account the "water footprints" of their operations. The company discovered that the water used in their supply chain, such as for growing barley and hops, can be significantly higher than their direct water usage. With breweries across six continents, SABMiller's total water consumption can vary greatly depending on the region. For example, it can range from 40 liters of water for a liter of beer in Central Europe to 155 liters in South Africa. By using the lower ratio as an estimate, SABMiller's total "water footprint" was approximately 8.4 trillion liters last year, which is more than double the amount used by Iceland in 2004. "In the long run, we do view it as a risk," stated Wales. Multinational beverage companies are taking steps to improve their reputation by setting water conservation goals, constructing community wells, implementing more efficient factories, collaborating with locals on sustainable farming, water harvesting, and reforestation, and exploring new technologies to reduce water usage while increasing production. "For businesses like ours, especially those with a direct connection to water, we must take on this responsibility," explained Greg Koch, Coke's managing director of global water stewardship. Despite nonalcoholic beverage companies using only 0.03 percent of groundwater in the United States, their visibility as significant consumers puts them at the forefront of the water resource debate, according to Kim Jeffery, CEO of Nestle Waters North America. Jeffery compared criticism of his industry to a gnat bothering an elephant, as his plans to build a bottling plant in McCloud, California have faced opposition from residents and environmental groups. Nestle is conducting a 3-year study of the area's resources, but Jeffery believes the project may not happen due to economic changes and hesitancy from 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 closed amid accusations of depleting the water table during a drought. Coke denied that its plant caused the shortages, but there was still widespread backlash globally. Students in Britain and North America called for boycotts, and Smith College in Massachusetts cut ties with the company. Koch stated that they lost the social license to operate. Environmental and community groups are continuing to push for Coke to leave other villages in India.