Groveland stands alone against Niagara water permit in Lake County
- By Stephen Hudak | Sentinel Staff Writer
TAVARES – County commissioners decided this week that Lake could not afford to continue its legal battle against Niagara Bottling.
Tuesday’s decision — a 4-0 vote by commissioners to end the legal challenge — is a turning point in Central Florida’s water wars. It could hasten the decision on whether to let the California-based water bottler tap water from an area already contemplating shortages in the future.
In July, a staff recommendation submitted to the St. Johns River Water Management District‘s governing board recommended granting Niagara a five-year permit to take water from the Floridan Aquifer and sell it.
