<P> In the United States, the popularity of bottled water declined in the early 20th century, when the advent of water chlorination reduced public concerns about water - borne diseases in municipal water supplies . However, it remained popular in Europe, where it spread to cafes and grocery stores in the second half of the century . In 1977, Perrier launched a successful advertisement campaign in the United States, heralding a rebirth in popularity for bottled water . Today, bottled water is the second most popular commercial beverage in the United States, with about half the domestic consumption as soft drinks . </P> <P> Many of the early developments in the field of chemistry can be attributed to the study of natural mineral waters and attempts to replicate them for commercial sale . Joseph Priestley, who would discover oxygen in 1775, made his first contributions to the field of chemistry by dissolving carbon dioxide in water, for which he was awarded the Copley Medal in 1773 . He would go on to work with Jacob Schweppes, founder of Schweppes, in developing "aerated" waters for commercial sale . </P> <P> In 1973, DuPont engineer Nathaniel Wyeth patented Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, the first plastic bottle to be able to withstand the pressure of carbonated liquids . Today, PET plastic has replaced glass as the preferred material for single - serving bottled water containers due to its light weight and resistance to breaking . </P> <P> Some of the more common types of bottled water are: </P>

When did plastic bottled water start being sold