(Credit: Zephyrhills Water)
-A river is like a life: once taken, it cannot be brought back-
Nestle Waters NA Faces Struggle Over Permit to Draw 1.2M Gallons of Spring Water a Day
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Nestle Waters North America is facing opposition from environmentalists and the local water district regarding the company’s request for a new permit to draw water from Ginnie Springs in Gilchrist County, Florida. The permit would allow the company to withdraw as much as 1.152 million gallons of water a day from the springs, which flows into the Santa Fe River, for bottling.
A current permit allows the company to withdraw that amount each day, but reported water use has never been that high, according to the Gainesville Sun. Highest water use over the past four years was less than 0.27 million gallons per day.
Non-profit organization Our Santa Fe River says that every drop of water in the springs is vital to maintaining the river’s health. Companies that withdraw water from the springs pay fees for withdrawal permits, but the water itself is free.
This isn’t the first time that Nestle Waters North America has come under fire from Our Santa Fe. A recent article published by the organization claimed that the Nestle Zephyrhills plant’s water contains roughly twice the average amounts of nitrate content of other water bottling plants, and that the levels far exceed the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s limits.
Read the rest of the article here in Environmental Leader.
