You can use the same argument to explain away homelessness. Personally I doubt _many_ is any big, or even most. Unfortunately, like you, I do not have any data.

You are saying it cost money before? People drinking more tap water and less bottled water would be a sign of decline in purchasing power and that doesn't even include a factor of losing time for something of insufficient value.

That is an argument for not assuming the absolute levels are accurate. It does not explain the increase unless you're arguing that people have for some unexplained reason gotten more steadily more willing to exploit it.