Diners Drinking More Tap Water At Restaurants
By: Anthony Adragna
Published: October 27, 2011

Diners in restaurants ordered 2.7 billion more glasses of tap water over the last five years, according to a new report from the NPD Group. Still the difference may hardly be noticed. Out of the 50 billion beverages ordered at restaurants, just 8 percent of them were water. Carbonated beverages and coffee accounted for 49 percent of the total. 
One of the primary reasons diners have been ordering fewer carbonated drinks is cost.  Customers preferred tap water because of free refills.