60 percent of Europe's mineral water reserves are in Romania says Rio Bucovina

Romanians drink on average 50 liters of water per capita each year which is half of the European average, according to data from Rio Bucovina, one of the main mineral water bottlers in the country.

The potential to go beyond this level is high, especially when considering the fact that 60 percent of the mineral water reserves in Europe can be found in Romania but only 20 percent of the springs are exploited, argue Rio Bucovina representatives.

About 11.3 million hectoliters of water are bottled in Romania each year but consumption could well go beyond 35 million hectoliters estimates the company, albeit the annual growth is a modest 5 percent.

According to a survey carried by Rio Bucovina, over 60 percent of bottled water consumers in Romania are women. Over 80 percent of consumers drink the water as it is while 17 percent choose to combine sparkling water with alcoholic drinks. 56 percent of the sold water is still and the rest is sparkling.

The highest consumption is in the capital – over 60 percent of Bucharesters drink bottled water each day. Bucharest is followed in the top by Southern Romania and Moldova, Transylvania and Banat. The lowest levels are reported in the countryside where consumption is limited by the existence of alternative water sources such as wells.

The two liters PET is the most preferred package, followed by the 5 liters PET. “The economic crisis has determined Romanian consumers to look for larger packages that come with more competitive prices,” said Camelia Hoinerescu, marketing manager at Rio Bucovina.

Rio Bucovina is the third player on the local bottled water market according to data from Nielsen. The company also produces Rio soft drinks and distributes food and non-food products. Last year it has reported a RON 85 million turnover and hopes to reach RON 110 million in 2011.