Desalination has become an important technology to companies in Hawaii that are bottling desalinated deep-sea water and exporting it. The bottled water is being marketed as a dietary supplement and receives most of its business from Japanese consumers willing to pay the premium price -- $33.50 for a small bottle.
Companies have invested $65 million in bottling facilities near Kona on the Big Island. The state estimates another $100 million in bottling facilities will be invested within the next year, reported The News Journal.
The water is being sold as a supplement for weight loss, stress reduction, improved skin tone and digestion. The business has been growing so much that the state has plans to charge companies a fee to use a special logo that will make them certified, a program that could generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for the state, reported The Honolulu Advertiser.
The interest in the water has stemmed from the belief that the water has health benefits because it is untouched by pollution and has a high mineral content. No research has been done at this time.
Source: The News Journal, The Honolulu Advertiser
