In these times when budgets are tight, many consumers are finding that private label bottled waters quench their thirst just as well as branded waters. 

 The overall bottled water category reported nearly $6.7 billion in sales and a 3.4 percent increase in dollar sales during the  52 weeks ending April 14 in food, drug and mass merchandise stores including Walmart, according to New York City-based Nielsen.  

A new campaign from Nestlé Waters North America enabled consumers to ask the “Fountain of Electrolytenment” questions and receive answers written in water.

 LaCroix Sparkling Water partnered with Paramount Pictures to celebrate the re-release of “Titanic,” which was remastered, converted to 3-D and released April 4 — one week before the 100th anniversary of the ship setting sail April 10, 1912.  

 Inspired by Suzanne Collins’ novel, “The Hunger Games,” AquaNew’s Watt-Ahh bottled water brand created Thirst Games, a program that challenges young adults between the ages of 12 and 18 to submit water conservation or fundraising ideas.

Preston, Wash.-based TalkingRain Beverage Co. recently placed a focus on its Sparkling Ice enhanced water brand, which in turn has experienced a national surge. 

The Canadian Beverage Association, Encorp Pacific-Canada, Nestlé Waters Canada and the city of Richmond, British Columbia, announced that their recent Go Recycle! pilot public spaces recycling program resulted in a 27 percent reduction of beverage containers found in the waste stream.