The Problem:

Today, more than one billion people around the world do not have access to safe water to drink, and unless something is done, this problem will only get worse. Corporations are exacerbating the global water crisis by turning water into a profit driven commodity, like oil. One of the most visible examples of this is bottled water. Bottled water corporations are threatening local control of water supplies in communities across the U.S. and around the world.  Nestlé is the largest bottled water company in the world, with over 70 brands sold in 130 countries.

From California to Michigan to Maine, Nestlé is interfering in local, democratic decision-making over water.  In California, Nestlé is seeking control of water from the springs of Mount Shasta, and negotiated a secret deal in which it would pay 1/64 of a cent per gallon for the next half a century, while selling it back to the public at thousands of times the price.   The Concerned McCloud Citizens successfully challenged Nestlé in court on the grounds that Nestlé failed to submit an environmental impact statement but Nestlé brought the case to an appeals court to turnaround the verdict. 

In Michigan, Nestlé is aggressively seeking control of water in the Great Lakes basin, which contains almost a quarter of the world's freshwater resources.   Nestlé currently operates six wells and one bottling plant in the state, extracting millions of gallons of water every year, and is in the process of drilling two new wells in a sensitive watershed.  The Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation brought Nestlé to court in 2003, where the judge ruled that Nestlé had to shut down its wells due to invalid water permits.  However, Nestlé fought back and brought the case to an Appeals Court where the verdict was overturned.   The communities there continue to challenge Nestlé’s aggressive attempts to take water and this case is currently pending before the Michigan Supreme Court.

In Maine, Nestlé operates at least six wells and two bottling plants under the Poland Spring label and is hoping to expand its operations.  Local residents are concerned that Nestlé will get priority access to the same water that feeds their local water utility and that Nestlé’s extraction will adversely impact local ecosystems and wells.  In response to a community group’s attempt to tax Nestlé’s bottled water within the state, Nestlé gave over $218,000 to a political action committee called Maine Citizens Against Taxing Water that opposed the initiative and waged an aggressive media and public relations campaign to discredit the community group. 

There are many more stories to tell about Nestlé’s water abuses in the U.S. and around the world.  As Nestlé continues to expand its bottled water operations and profit from communities’ water resources, we must join together to support communities who are struggling to maintain control over their water.  

What you can do:
 
Join people around the world and resist the attempts by corporations to dictate who has water and who doesn't.  Right now, Corporate Accountability International's "Think Outside the Bottle” campaign raises awareness among the U.S. public of the dangerous reality behind the image of bottled water and pressures the corporations that profit from it.

We also are working with our allies to explore the possibility of a global treaty to protect the fundamental human right to water. Take action today and join this growing movement challenging the bottled water industry and its irresponsible and dangerous actions.