ASBWA NEWSLETTER
November 2025

PROFILE

Craig Brewton, President & CEO of

AquaOne and ASBWA President (2025-2027)

by Susan Gibson, ASBWA Executive Director

ASBWA President Craig Brewton serves as the President and CEO of AquaOne, a leading bottled water and beverage company based in Texas. He joined the company in February 2007 as Controller, tasked with managing the acquisition of Clearwater in Lubbock, TX — a move that doubled AquaOne’s size at the time. Following the passing of AquaOne’s founder, Matt Murff, in 2010, Craig was appointed President and CEO. In 2019, Craig and his wife Lexie purchased the company from the Murff family trust, continuing AquaOne’s legacy of customer-focused service.

AqualOne was founded in September 1998 in Tulia, Texas, by entrepreneur Matt Murff. The company was built on the vision of providing high-quality, customer-oriented bottled water services to the Texas Panhandle. Initially an Ozarka distributor, the company transitioned to bottling its own brand by 2000 and has steadily expanded its offerings. Today, AquaOne provides bottled water, coffee, electrolyte products, and vending services. The company operates five locations — Amarillo, Abilene, Forney, Lubbock, and Wichita Falls — with four bottling plants and 39 full-time employees.

A native of Amarillo, Texas, Craig graduated from Amarillo High School before attending West Texas A&M University, where he earned dual bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance. He passed the CPA exam in 2003, successfully completing all four sections in one sitting. Before joining AquaOne, Craig built an extensive background in accounting and finance — spending eight years with Johnson & Sheldon in Amarillo before serving as CFO for a regional pump company. His strong financial expertise and leadership skills eventually led him to AquaOne.

Craig and his wife, Lexie, who is originally from Canadian, Texas, have been married since 2002. They have two children: Ryder, who studies Theater and Finance at Oklahoma City University, and Presley, a senior at Amarillo High School who plans to pursue nursing. The Brewtons are an active family, often traveling across the Midwest for Presley’s club soccer tournaments and supporting Ryder’s passion for theater.

When he’s not at work, Craig enjoys sports — particularly watching football and golf — and spending quality time with his family. Much of his recent downtime has been devoted to traveling for his daughter’s soccer games, and he values every moment before she leaves for college.

Dear Members,

As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, we transition into a new season. This is a time to reflect on our achievements over the past year and to plan for new opportunities ahead.

I am immensely proud of the progress we have made together this year. Our annual Conference and Product Fair was held in Lexington, KY. We brought together attendees from many of our member states, including bottlers, distributors, and vendors. Together, we fostered valuable connections, shared crucial insights into our industry, and experienced personal growth. We toured Highbridge Springs and saw firsthand how this successful underground bottling company continues to grow and prosper under the leadership of owner Linda Griffin. The photo highlights from the Show are posted on our ASBWA Facebook page as well as our website at asbwa.org. If you have not yet friended our FB page, we encourage you to do so today by using the QR code below! This is a great platform for us to communicate with each other and show others in the industry we are working together for the betterment of our industry!

I am pleased to announce our newest ASBWA member benefit through Delta Administration. Delta is partnering with us to provide our members with quality and effective HR Services at a member reduced rate. Please read about the details of this exciting new offering below and give Vance Adams, our rep for this new program, a call.

We are pleased to announce an exciting new member benefit — a partnership between the ASBWA and Delta Administrative Services, a trusted provider of Human Resources solutions for businesses nationwide.

Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana, Delta serves clients in over 40 states, helping small and mid-sized businesses manage their HR needs efficiently and effectively.

A Comprehensive HR Partner

As businesses grow, HR responsibilities can quickly exceed internal capacity. Delta Administrative Services offers a complete suite of solutions designed to streamline operations, reduce risk, and improve employee satisfaction — all through a single, trusted partner.

Services include:

Payroll and Tax Administration
Access to Large-Company Benefits for Small Employers
Human Resources Consulting and Administration
Workers’ Compensation, Risk Management, and Safety Administration
Benefits Administration

By partnering with Delta, ASBWA members can gain access to the tools, expertise, and resources typically available only to larger organizations — improving efficiency, compliance, and employee retention. Delta’s proactive consulting approach helps businesses anticipate challenges, manage risks, and maintain full legal compliance.

On September 5th President Trump signed an executive order removing tariff exemptions from PET Resin being imported. This could mean a 15% to a 25 % increase in PET Resins being imported into the US.

Make America Healthy Again: MAHA commission members released the make our children healthy again strategy on Sept. 9th, outlining key federal priorities related to nutrition, hydration, and environmental health.

Key highlights include: Upcoming Dietary Guidelines: These guidelines influence national nutrition policy and could shape public messaging around healthy beverage choices.

Front of Package labeling rule: The FDA is expecting to revise its proposed Front-of-Pack Nutritional information rule. We are waiting to see how these changes could impact bottled water labeling or placement.

FDA Shares Final Results from Testing of Domestic and Imported Bottled Water

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (April 14, 2025) is sharing final results from our testing of domestic and imported bottled water collected at retail locations across the U.S. between 2023 and 2024 and analyzed for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The 197 samples included purified, artesian, spring, and mineral waters. Ten of the samples analyzed by the FDA had detectable levels of PFAS, none of which had levels that would have exceeded the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for PFAS if detected in public drinking water.

The FDA tested the bottled water samples for 18 types of PFAS, including the six PFAS for which EPA established MCLs in drinking water. Of the ten samples with detectable PFAS levels, we detected a range of one to four different PFAS in each of the eight domestic bottled water samples, which were either purified or spring water, and a range of one to two different PFAS in each of the two imported bottled water samples, both of which were artesian water. Four of the PFAS detected were at levels below the EPA MCLs for PFAS in drinking water. Two of the PFAS detected do not have EPA MCLs established. The FDA has previously analyzed for PFAS in bottled water through a limited targeted survey (2016) and through the FDA’s Total Diet Study (TDS) samples. Results from the 2016 survey and TDS testing did not detect PFAS in bottled water samples.

Guest Speaker

Business Lunch

Plant Tour

The 2026 ASBWA convention was held in Lexington, KY at the Downtown Hilton. Attendees included bottled, distributors, filtration suppliers, and professionals in the industry. There was a great education offering (including CEUs) along with a fascinating tour of Highbridge Springs, which exists in a cave. There were many suppliers on hand to introduce and educate attendees about their products and services. The Product Fair featured a fun raffle for which many of the suppliers participated.

Don't miss the ASBWA Convention & Product Fair set to take place in New Orleans on March 17-19, 2026! Watch for the details and sign up early.

Here are some photo highlights!

What Consumers Really Think About their Water

The WQA Podcast explores what consumers really think about their home water quality. Greg Reyneke, MWS, Managing Director of Red Fox Advisors, discusses key findings from the newly released 2025 Consumer Insights Report, which reveals how household attitudes toward tap water, contaminants, and water treatment systems are evolving.

IBWA Announces 2025-2026 Officers and Board of Directors

Las Vegas, NV – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has announced its 2025-2026 officers and board of directors. IBWA members elected the Association’s leadership recently during the 2025 IBWA Annual Business Conference, which was held in Las Vegas, from September 29 – October 1, 2025.

IBWA President and CEO Joe Doss Announces Retirement

Alexandria, VA – Joe Doss, president and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), announced that he will retire in 2026, after serving in this role since 1999.

Primo Brands Named to Newsweek's America's Greenest Companies 2026 List

Tampa, FL – Primo Brands (NYSE: PRMB), a leading branded beverage company in North America with a focus on healthy hydration, announced that it has been named one of America's Greenest Companies 2026 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group.

REIKI Water Seeks to Enhance overall Health and Wellness

Pittsburgh, PA – "I have been studying metaphysics for 15 years and am a reiki master. I wanted to create a new line of bottled water that would offer added energy, health benefits, and healing properties," said an inventor, from Holladay, Utah. "So I invented the REIKI WATER. My formula may enhance a person's overall health and wellness."