With growing concern over bottled water companies extracting water from local Canadian wells, an environmental organization is urging the Ontario Liberals to deny a permit for Nestle Waters.
According to Wellington Water Watchers, the permit for Nestle in Aberfoyle, Ontario, expired on July 31. However, the company continues to extract water from a local well after the Ministry of Environment granted the company an automatic extension without consulting people who live in the area, Newstalk770.com reported.
Wellington wants the Ontario government to deny the renewal, claiming Nestle is extracting water from an area suffering from severe drought.
Nestle’s renewal application was not posted by the ministry for the usual 30 days of public comment and a typical permit remains in force for 90 days despite an expiry.
Government officials say the application will be posted once paperwork has been reviewed.
Nestle Waters Canada plans to continue its water-bottling business in the south-central Ontario township. Nestle Waters and its parent company Nestle have several permits allowing for the take up of over 20 million liters of water a day.
Around 6,000 water-taking permits are listed on the Ministry of Environment’s website, with multiple permits issued to several companies.
Nestlé Waters Canada says it is committed to “a continued engagement with the community” while it waits for the decision on its renewal application in Aberfoyle, according to CBC News.
“The continuation of this permit allows for thorough public consultation on the Ontario Environmental Registry and provides (the ministry) time to conduct, review and report on the public commentary before a decision on the permit renewal application is made,” the company said in a statement.
