Is it safe to drink the water in parts of Southern US? Special

Houma - The manager of a small grocery in the Gulf and the Nestles Pure Life bottled water company have something in common -- they see an increase in bottled water demand reflecting concerns about the safety of drinking water in certain areas of the South.

On May 10 Nestle Waters North America announced the company's donation of clean water to disaster relief efforts in areas affected by flooding in southern states. The company has been working with relief agencies such as the American Red Cross, Feed the Children and Gleaning for the World to deliver more than 1.7 million to the most needy people in areas impacted by the recent floods in Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. In fact, this is what Ronald Davidson, President and Founder of Gleaning for the World had to say, "With the exception of Hurricane Katrina, I can't remember a time when we received more requests for bottled water. We are distributing water to Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee, and we're grateful for the generosity and support of the Nestle Waters Brand." In response, Tony Dexter, Plant Manager of the Nestle Pure Life facility in Red Boiling Springs said, "We are proud to have had the opportunity and ability to aid communities affected by last week's flooding," said Tony Dexter, Plant Manager of the Nestle Pure Life facility Red Boiling Springs. "Access to clean drinking water is vital in instances when normal supply is temporarily limited or unavailable, and Nestle Waters remains committed to working with government agencies and relief organizations to help ensure access quickly to those most in need." If Joseph Moore, a manager at Cannata's Family Market, is right, increased demand in Houma, Louisiana for drinking water may indicate concern in his area for safe drinking water as well. Moore has lived all his life on the Gulf coast and knows the shrimpers and the men who fish for a living. Digital Journal asked him whether he had noticed more people going into his market to buy bottled drinking water. Moore responded quickly, declaring, "You bet. We are seeing a big time increase down here." "What do you think causes that?" he was asked. "Well, folks are scared. There are signs of concern about safe drinking water. Recently we had a woman come in the store and buy 30 cases of water, she was so worried." "Is this usual for this time of year?" Moore , "Well, people tend to buy more water in the summer months as it starts to get hot. But not like this. Oh no, not like this. It is more than two or three times greater than we've seen around here." "How are the folks faring there in Houma, Louisiana?" With obvious pride in his neighbors, Moore reported, "These people around here, they work hard. But they are scared, you know, the kind of fear you have when you don't know what will happen next. Still they are glad to be working. Some of the guys are out there in their fishing boats right now helping to stop the spill. Down here, we're close to what's happening." Moore, a young man in a small town in Houma, reports something he finds significant, enough for a bottling company to increase donations of bottled water to the South and people on the Gulf Coast to increase their purchases of it. Significant because it indicates, as Moore has said, concerns people have about contaminants in the drinking water.