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30 million litres of bottled water, enough for 150 million glasses, were distributed last summer to residents in the Midlands when floods cut people off from their homes and tap water supplies. This is more than the entire UK bottled water market 30 years ago. The figure was released by specialist food and drink consultancy Zenith International as part of its annual UK market review.

"Bottled water has been a huge success story because of its convenience and health benefits," said Zenith Chairman Richard Hall. "It's hard to imagine how hundreds of thousands of people would have coped without it after last summer's flooding."

Back in 1980, the total UK market amounted to 30 million litres, amid general scepticism about the idea of paying for bottled water. Now, the market has grown to more than 2,000 million litres, with half of that coming from consumption on the go, such as in offices and cars as part of today's increasingly busy lifestyles.

"30 years ago, it would have been impossible for bottled water to meet this extra demand. Fortunately, although climate change was the cause of the problem, bottled water has a very low carbon footprint since all bottles are 100% recyclable, and much of the rescue relief was provided locally," continued Richard Hall.

"In 2006, one in 30 households experienced an interruption in their tap water supplies across the country, so the availability of bottled water is becoming increasingly important," added Zenith Market Intelligence Director Gary Roethenbaugh. "The other advantages, of course, are that you know exactly where a natural mineral or spring water has come from and it will not have been treated chemically in any way."