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, 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. The Italian restaurant, which has the support of celebrities Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich, is one of many establishments choosing not to serve bottled water, following the lead of San Francisco and New York state. Bastianich, who is gradually eliminating bottled water from his restaurant empire, including locations in Los Angeles, stated, "The argument for local water is compelling and obvious. It's about transportation, packaging, the absurdity of moving water all over the world." Beverage companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestle, and SABMiller are increasingly aware of the potential negative impact of consumer environmental concerns on their bottled water sales. With water becoming scarcer, there is a fear that prices could rise significantly, prompting these companies to take measures to ensure access to water and improve their public image. Some experts compare water to oil in terms of value, stressing the importance of addressing climate change and population growth to protect water supplies. While some investors like Steve Dixon are confident in the overall availability of water, they acknowledge the significance of consumer perceptions and the need to address them. Brooke Barton, who manages corporate accountability for Ceres, a network focused on sustainability challenges, stated that approximately one-third of the global population currently resides in regions experiencing water stress. She predicts that by 2025, this number will increase to about two-thirds. Andy Wales, the head of sustainable development at SABMiller, a brewing company that consumed 94.5 billion liters of water in its most recent fiscal year, emphasized the importance of monitoring water costs as they are expected to rise significantly in the future. This equates to 4.5 liters of water for every liter of beer produced. Despite water and energy accounting for only 5 percent of costs, they are overshadowed by expenses such as brewing ingredients, bottling materials, and labor. The brewer mentioned that water costs at a plant in Bogota, Colombia are increasing by 12 percent annually due to soil erosion caused by cattle grazing upstream leading to deforestation. New water pricing strategies are being introduced, such as the European Union's Water Framework Directive which will impose a tax on water starting in 2010 to promote more sustainable usage. Agriculture uses 70 percent of the world's water supply, while industry utilizes 20 percent. Any industry that depends on agriculture, including those producing meat and jeans, faces challenges beyond just their own water usage. Companies like SABMiller, along with Coke and Pepsi, are now analyzing their "water footprints" to understand the impact of water used in their supply chain, such as for growing barley and hops. SABMiller, with 139 breweries worldwide, can use anywhere from 40 to 155 liters of water for a liter of beer, depending on the region. By applying the lower ratio as an estimate, SABMiller's total water usage last year was approximately 8.4 trillion liters, more than double the water used by Iceland in 2004. Wales stated that in the long term, they view it as a risk. Multinational drink companies are taking steps to improve their reputation by setting water conservation targets, building community wells, and implementing more efficient factories. They are also working with locals on sustainable farming, water harvesting, reforestation, and exploring new technologies to reduce water consumption. Coke's managing director of global water stewardship, Greg Koch, emphasized the importance of playing a role in water sustainability for businesses directly linked to water. While nonalcoholic drink makers only use a small percentage of groundwater in the United States, their visibility as water users puts them at the forefront of the water resources issue, according to Nestle Waters North America's CEO, Kim Jeffery. 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 studying the area's resources, but Jeffery believes the project may never come to fruition due to changing economics and hesitancy from both sides. Tom Pirko of Bevmark LLC emphasized the importance of companies aligning with consumer attitudes on such issues, citing Coca-Cola's experience in Kerala, India where a drought led to the closure of their bottling plant. Coke denied that its plant caused the shortages, but backlash still occurred worldwide. Students in Britain and North America called for boycotts. Smith College in Massachusetts even ended a long-standing relationship with Coke by not allowing them to bid for their soft drink contract. 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.