The Island?s only bottler of five gallon bottles of drinking water has rejected an approach by North Carolina-based Le Bleu Ultra Pure Bottled Water to bring that brand?s same size bottle to the local market.

At the same time, however, John Barritt and Sons is planning to talk with Le Bleu about its licensing offer.

Le Bleu has periodically advertised locally for an ?aggressive entrepreneur for the exclusive bottling and licensing rights for the five gallon Le Bleu Ultra Pure Bottled Water?.

While its convenience size bottles are among many brands sold on the Island, the company said last week that the business to sell distil and sell its five-gallon bottles would bring competition to the market.

Currently, Pure Water is the only company to offer the larger sized bottle. Owner Allan Rance said that Le Bleu wanted him to sell their brand as well, but he does not see any benefit to his company or consumers.

Mr. Rance said: ?They made bully remarks along the lines if we don?t join with them they are going to come in here and do this anyhow with the implication that big American business is going to come in here and steamroll us. We examined their franchise proposal very carefully. There is a 50 cent fee that has to be paid on every bottle of water that goes straight to Le Bleu and we didn?t see that as a healthy arrangement. It is a further drain on foreign exchange,? he said.

Mr. Rance adds that Le Bleu?s technology is the same as that used by Pure Water. That American-based company only charges him a licensing fee for use of the Pure Water brand name.

Sandra Bass, vice president of Le Bleu, told this newspaper last week that her company?s entrance into other markets did not necessarily lead to a price decrease, but it did give consumers more choice as to their distributor. Mr. Rance said that his company already has competition from vendors who are selling reverse osmosis under the counter systems and reverse osmosis coolers.

?We are very sure Le Bleu are not interested in creating any benefit here in the form of competition for the consumer.

?We are convinced that they are only interested in their own pocket and whatever financial gain they can make in coming to Bermuda not in necessarily competing for the benefit of the consumer.?

The 130-year-old John Barritt and Sons, which currently bottles its own name brand 20 ounce, one litre and 1.5 litre bottles of water, is however interested in speaking with Le Bleu about expanding into the larger size bottling business.

Bruce Barritt said: ?It never hurts to listen and read over a contract.?