Nestlé is asking to take over 1.1 million gallons of water a day from the ecologically fragile Santa Fe River without paying for it.
The company requested a permit from the Suwannee River Management District which would renew their right to pump water from the springs, as they’ve been doing since 1998. The expired water use permit is held by a local company, Seven Springs.
Ginnie Springs is “in recovery” after years of overpumping, according to the Suwanee Suwannee River Water Management District. (Independent, U.K.)
It received an F rating for its flow, and an overall rating of D+ by the Florida Springs Institute.
“The Santa Fe springs’ flow reductions are the direct result of too much groundwater pumping,” according to Dr. Bob Knight, Executive Director of the Florida Springs Institute.
Tell the Suwannee River Water Management District that you OPPOSE this application.
(Scroll down to see tips on expressing your concern.)
Groups like the Suwannee Riverkeeper are “opposed to continued promiscuous issuance of permits to withdraw water from the Floridan Aquifer, which is already overtaxed and sinking.”
Nestlé is defending their business, claiming without evidence that the spring water is a “rapidly renewable resource.”
Unrelated to Florida, but important to understanding the values of this company, Nestlé openly admits to using child labor in its cocoa supply chain right on their website. “Nestlé is no different” than other companies sourcing cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, they say. The wording they use tries to absolve them of guilt, and the site lists their supposed efforts in “tackling child labour,” but the fact remains the same: they are knowingly profiting from the exploitation of children overseas.
“The simple truth is that every gallon of groundwater that is pumped to the land surface and not returned to the aquifer is one less gallon contributing to spring flow,” says Dr. Bob Knight in his op-ed, “Not One Drop More.”
“The state’s answer to Seven Springs and Nestlé must be ‘No!’ There is no way that these corporation’s desire for more profit is a higher priority than the health of our region’s springs,” Knight declares. “It is not in the public’s best interest to dry up any of Florida’s artesian springs. Healthy springs support a vast and abundant assemblage of charismatic and endangered wildlife, nourish our many rivers and lakes during droughts, and are the sought-after playground for tens of millions of visitors each year.”
Express your concern to the Suwannee River Management District
Non-profit group Our Santa Fe River has asked the public to comment against Nestlé using the official government e-Permitting system: “This is not a petition. This is not a social media platform. This is the real government deal.”
To place your comment, go to the permit’s page and click on the link reading “To comment or receive notifications.”
You can also follow this link, which will take you directly to the public input capture for permit #2-041-218202-3.
Choose the option for “I oppose this application.”
For your comment, be sure to pressure the staff to do the right thing based on state law.
Florida Statutes require that water permits be “consistent with the public interest,” and that the proposed use of the water has a “reasonable-beneficial use,” defined as “necessary for economic and efficient utilization.” (F.S. Chapter 373 Part II)
It’s very important that your comments address these issues specifically, as these decisions are made not because of emotions or logic, but because of written guidelines in law.
Even if you don’t live in Florida, please submit your opposition. These natural springs are great for tourism revenue, and turning them into sinkholes is obviously bad for the bottom line. This addresses the “economic” concern in the Florida Statutes.
Some good news: The permit request cannot move forward “for now,” because the original application that Seven Springs filed in March was incomplete, according to Lindsey Garland, the Public Communications Coordinator of Suwannee River Water Management District. Still though, it is essential that the public express their concern. The application could easily be corrected for the process to continue.
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3massive
Nahhhhh no one gets a free ride its just not right. Adleast pay for it so they can make a new springs when u run this one dry.
Don’t let greed of the all mighty $$ destroy a natural resource enjoyed by generations. This will destroy the spring
And promote more damage, ans stress to the states aquafilter system.
I bet that Nestle is holding secret meetings with someone in charge of granting water access which involves a suit case stuffed with $100 bills…
We need to BAN the sales of bottled water period in the US we are destroying our ecosystems
We need to protect our natural resources. Stop the ruination if such a beautiful spring.
Stay out of our springs.
We’ve been floating the beautiful springs of Florida since I was 8 years old, and I’m 45 now. With every visit to these less visited streams, compared to the coasts, my family has created revenue for the stores, gas stations, and camping areas around the streams. Please don’t kill the businesses and beauty of the area for cocoa products from Nestle. We will , hence forward, not be buying any Nestle products.
Thank you,
-Andtea Banks, lover of the Florida outdoors
Leave our springs ALONE!!
Ginnie Springs is for diving, not for the notoriously evil Nestlé company to drain into its coffers. Enough is enough! Bottled water is a horrible polluter: petrochemicals for bottles and distribution, draining natural habitats dry, destroying the ecosystem on site and wherever the water source goes. Not all money is good money and destroying Ginnie Springs is a prime example of that adage. Leave Florida’s fragile spring habitats alone!
Please don’t allow this, why ruin something so rare and fragile. Do not ruin a natural wonder such as Ginnie Spgs. Get your damn dirty paws away from it …you hear us?
Pump it out and bottle it up.
If not it just flows to the Gulf anyway.
No to this happening, No way to Nestle pumping more water and No to buying Nestle products!!!
Please speak out.. vote NO to big business and greed! I vote YES to preserving and protecting the natural beauty of Florida.
No to Nestle!!!!! We must preserve our beautiful springs and Florida nature… Please do not do this. Nestle has taken enough of our natural waters.
Stop this shit Nestle!
I oppose to nestle
We must preserve our beautiful spring. Please do not do this. Nestle has taken enough of our natural waters.
No! Absolutely not. They have enough. Leave this spring alone
I Oppose to Nestle.
We must preserve these springs. It is a beautiful arrea.
No to nestle leave the spring alone.
Leave our water alone.
Leave our water sources alone! This is UNACCEPTABLE & NOT GOOD for our ecosystem! All the wild life that live here need the water for survival. STOP these DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR!
DO NOT LET THE HAPPEN!!!!!!!!
No to Nestle!
Companies like these have taken from the green swamp and now the water upstream and wildlife is compromised. No to Nestle!
The problem isn’t Nestlé the problem is the consumer. Boycott bottled water and the problem will go away.
If they are going to pump water they should pump surface water not ground water.
Nestlé is pure evil and should never be allowed to take water from anywhere at all! But especially not from such a beautiful place that needs to be protected not drained by this vulture like company.
I vote NO to big business and greed! I vote YES to preserving and protecting the natural beauty of Florida.
We have to protect our springs! Please don’t let Nestle near Ginnie Springs
Connie springs is a treasure. Please preserve its beauty.
I vote no! Leave Ginnie Springs alone!
I don’t even know what to say. This is such an outrageous action on the part of Nestle and the people responsible for protecting Florida’s Waterways, al if our lakes, rivers, streams and springs. And this at a time when the entire orb is inundated with plastic waste…. at a time when we should be encouraging people to stop using single use plastic products and use reusable, refillable bottles and containers. We should be holding the companies who produce plastic bottles and containers responsible for the cleanup of plastic and the for costs related to the cleanup. Do not “GIVE” our water to Nestle. Please, just don’t do it.
Nestle is straight up evil. Don’t let them destroy the springs like they destroy everything else.
I’m against Nestlé
This is an outrage! The elite are killing our planet for profit! Soon we won’t have to go to Mars because Earth will look just like it!!
The water is for the people ! Nobody can own it !
Going to ruin a childhood memory and a prehistoric natural treasure
Please fuck off nestle
I totally oppose Nestle for many reasons and this one is outrageous! We must protect Florida waters!
Please protect the water from Nestlé
Noooooooooo!!!!
Stop letting Nestle steal our natural resources!
Be the change this world deserves Nestle.
Be resourceful and clever and figure out another way Nestlé. This land is not for you No!
Nestle we don’t want to buy your stupid water. I’m not going to buy anything of yours until you stop.
If I know a product is even remotely connected to Nestle I will never buy it and forever remove that company from my list.
No, no, no….leave our Springs alone!!!
This is just one more of Florida’s natural sites that you want to destroy for big business!!! Leave Florida nature alone before we ha nothing left to enjoy and all the wildlife is gone!! NO NO NO