Nestlé says it has valid rights to water drawn from national forest
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In December, it was alleged that Nestlé was operating immorally after multiple parties accused the brand of overdrawing water from Strawberry Creek watershed in California‘s San Bernardino National Forest. A 20-month investigation by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) suggested that the company has been bottling and selling more water than it has the rights to.
Nestlé is now disputing those claims in a new response to the SWRCB findings. In a written statement, a spokesperson says the brand is actually taking less water annually than it is entitled to.
“A detailed and documented report shared with the SWRCB shows that Nestlé Waters has rights to collect at least 271 acre feet of surface water and groundwater in Strawberry Canyon each year. This amount exceeds our 2015 water use by 161 acre feet and our 2016 water use by 172 acre feet,” the spokesperson explained.
He also added that the SWRCB “undercounted the amount of water historically appropriated.” Nestlé has submitted a 160-page report featuring “historical, scientific and legal evidence dating back more than a century” to the SWRCB for further evaluation.
Earth Day is only a couple months away, though. So maybe we shouldn’t be buying bottled water anyway. Try a reusable container instead! Here are the 10 best ones.
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