The article discusses the dire water scarcity in Gangneung, South Korea, where a state of emergency was declared due to severe droughts in September 2025. The situation resulted in an overwhelming influx of over 5.4 million bottles of plastic water donated from various municipalities and corporations. This raised questions about the necessity of bottled water during crises, as large mounds of plastic waste accumulated, prompting a broader discourse about the environmental impacts of relying on bottled water as a solution during times of disaster.

Drawing parallels with the United States, the article references the Flint water crisis in Michigan, often cited as a major public health disaster. Following the contamination of their tap water, the residents of Flint were forced to rely on bottled water for years, while millions of bottles, predominantly from Nestlé, were distributed by state authorities. This leads to a profound call from the community to address the underlying infrastructure issues rather than depending on bottled solutions, sparking a debate on water justice and the inequities faced by marginalized populations.

The article also refers to sociologist Daniel Zaffke's 2023 work "Unbottled," which meticulously analyzes the issue of 'water justice' and the broader implications of bottled water as a commodity. Zaffke's study connects societal and environmental harms associated with bottled water to factors such as gender, geography, and class, seeking alternative solutions to the bottled water crisis that has evolved since its inception during the Roman Empire to becoming a $300 billion global industry today. The narrative presents an ongoing struggle over water resources while emphasizing the urgent need for systemic reform in water access and sustainability.