Nestle plans to take 1.1M gallons of water from Florida spring
- 5 years ago
HIGH SPRINGS, FLORIDA — Nestle sparked intense outrage among environmentalists over plans to pump an obscene amount of water from a spring in Florida.
According to the Guardian, Nestle is seeking permission to take over 1.1 million gallons of water a day from Ginnie Springs in Florida's Sante Fe river, to sell as bottled water.
Opponents of the plan say the river system is in recovery, and cannot withstand the proposed pumping. Residents also say taking that much water will harm the springs and its ecosystem, and deplete their own drinking supply.
Nestle denies all these, claiming that spring water is a rapidly renewable resource. For a million gallons a day? Riiight.
The Guardian reports that Nestle has spent millions buying and upgrading a nearby water bottling plant, anticipating that permission would be granted.
But in order to proceed, it would need the Suwannee River Water Management District to renew an expired water use permit held by local company Seven Springs, from which it plans to buy the water.
Though Nestle has promised a 'robust' management plan for the spring, local environmentalists don't trust the company's intentions.
They are also worried that the plan might threaten the 11 native turtle species and four non-native species who call the spring system home, and rely on vigorous water flow and river levels.
According to the Guardian, Nestle is seeking permission to take over 1.1 million gallons of water a day from Ginnie Springs in Florida's Sante Fe river, to sell as bottled water.
Opponents of the plan say the river system is in recovery, and cannot withstand the proposed pumping. Residents also say taking that much water will harm the springs and its ecosystem, and deplete their own drinking supply.
Nestle denies all these, claiming that spring water is a rapidly renewable resource. For a million gallons a day? Riiight.
The Guardian reports that Nestle has spent millions buying and upgrading a nearby water bottling plant, anticipating that permission would be granted.
But in order to proceed, it would need the Suwannee River Water Management District to renew an expired water use permit held by local company Seven Springs, from which it plans to buy the water.
Though Nestle has promised a 'robust' management plan for the spring, local environmentalists don't trust the company's intentions.
They are also worried that the plan might threaten the 11 native turtle species and four non-native species who call the spring system home, and rely on vigorous water flow and river levels.