Heatwave sees bottled water sales soar

Sales of bottled water shot up by 60% during the recent heatwave, it emerged today.

Ballygowan said the spell of good weather, which saw temperatures reach 29°C in some parts of the country, had resulted its busiest sales period so far this year.

Marketing manager Nicola O’Connell said demand for bottled water had increased by over 60%, when compared with the same period in 2004.

“We have noticed this incredible jump in sales not only in shops and supermarkets, but in pubs and restaurants as well,” she said.

Ballygowan sells an average of one million litres of bottled water every week and controls 50% of the bottled water market. It employs 65 staff at its bottling plant in Newcastle West in Limerick. Irish people drink around 122 million litres of bottled water every year.