But is it fair to single out the bottled water industry when it comes environmental credentials?

Some producers already claim they meet the environmental criteria, supplying recyclable water coolers and not dealing in millions of small plastic bottles.

"There are other people we could be looking at if you're going to use the same benchmark, when it comes to travel, miles per litre, I don't see any orange trees or banana trees in the UK," said Ron Hounsell, Managing Director, Kingshill Water.

Serious issue

But green campaigners want to see government taking the issue seriously and that includes the question of Highland Spring sponsoring the Commonwealth Games.Nobody has said there should be a ban on bottled water - sparkling water for example is something you can never get out of a tap.

Dan Barlow of the WWF said: "There is concern because fundamentally we would be encouraging people and participants to use tap water rather than bottled water.

"We would like to think in terms of the sponsorship arrangements they choose companies that have a strong environmental record and that are engaged in businesses that are fundamentally sustainable."

Some politicians argue the bottled water industry can not be allowed to expand further.

However the UK's biggest bottled water company, Highland Spring, has recently announced plans to double production over the next three years from one million bottles per day to two million.

But with the environment so high up the political agenda, the green lobby argue it is time to put a lid on your average bottle of eau de vie and just turn on the tap.