Water bottles, in the sense of containers specifically used to carry drinking water , go back to ancient civilizations, but the first recorded commercial “bottled water” appears in the early 1600s, and modern plastic water bottles emerge in the mid‑1900s with a big jump in the 1970s.

Quick Scoop

  • Ancient people were already using containers like clay pots, animal skins, and jugs to carry water thousands of years ago.
  • The first recorded commercial bottling of water dates to 1622 at the Holy Well in the United Kingdom, where spring water was sold in glass bottles.
  • In the United States, bottled water brands such as Poland Spring started in the 1800s (Poland Spring in 1845).
  • Plastic water bottles only really arrive much later: early plastic water bottles appear around the 1940s, and the first PET plastic bottle patent that could safely hold carbonated beverages was issued in 1973, making lightweight disposable water bottles explode in popularity.

Mini Timeline: “When Were Water Bottles Invented?”

  • Ancient civilizations (Egypt, Greece, Rome):
    People carry and store water in clay pots, ceramic jugs, and other simple vessels; these are the earliest practical “water bottles” in function.
  • 1622 – First recorded bottled water (UK):
    The Holy Well bottling operation in the United Kingdom sells spring water in glass bottles, marking one of the first organized, commercial bottled-water products.
  • 1700s–1800s – Bottled water becomes a product:
    Mineral springs across Europe and the U.S. bottle water for its supposed health and medicinal benefits; brands like Evian (1820s) and Poland Spring (1845) emerge.
  • Early–mid 1900s – Plastics develop:
    Synthetic plastics evolve through the early 20th century, but they are not yet ideal for water bottles.
  • 1940s–1960s – First plastic water bottles:
    The first plastic water bottles are designed in the 1940s, and plastic packaging for liquids becomes more common after polyethylene and related plastics are developed.
  • 1973 – Modern PET water bottle breakthrough:
    Nathaniel Wyeth patents the first PET plastic bottle that can safely hold carbonated drinks, making mass‑produced, light, durable plastic water bottles commercially viable.
  • Late 1970s–1980s – Bottled water boom:
    Companies such as Perrier heavily market bottled water, and plastic bottles rapidly replace glass as the dominant packaging.

Different Ways to Interpret “Invented”

Because “when were water bottles invented?” can mean different things, here are the main interpretations:

  • First human water-carrying containers:
    Thousands of years ago (ancient Egypt, Greece, and other early civilizations using clay and skins as portable water vessels).
  • First documented commercial bottled water:
    Around 1622 at the Holy Well in the UK, selling spring water in glass bottles.
  • First branded bottled waters:
    • Evian commercialized in the 1820s in France.
* Poland Spring founded in 1845 in the U.S.
  • First plastic water bottles (modern style):
    Prototypes and early plastic bottles in the 1940s , followed by large‑scale plastic bottling after PET and other plastics were refined, with a key PET bottle patent in 1973.

So, if the question is about “plastic water bottles” , the pivotal era is the mid‑20th century , especially 1973 ; if it is about “any bottled water” , the answer stretches back to early 1600s , and if it is about “any container used like a bottle” , then you are going all the way back to ancient civilizations.

Meta description:
Discover when water bottles were invented: from ancient clay vessels and 17th‑century glass bottled springs to modern plastic PET bottles patented in 1973, plus how bottled water became a global everyday item.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.