Nestle wants to bottle water from Florida's Ginnie Springs -- for free

[BRT]

Me too! I bring refillable containers with me all the time.

Me too! However, with salt water intrusion into Florida's aquifer system, we need to pay attention to the water as well.

Single use plastics are emblematic of our current consumer mindset. I hate it and it's one reason I moved here to my 10.82 acres in North Central Florida. Reduce, reuse, recycle and repurpose are the tenets I try to live by. Unfortunately, I'm a hypocrite. I buy Diet Pepsi in 2 liter bottles and go through one of those every other day. I do buy powdered drink mix that accounts for about two-thirds of my water consumption, so I am trying. If I had a better way to buy Diet Pepsi, like a dispenser system, with the SS syrup bottles, I would be all for it. They don't seem to be economically feasible at this point. I actually had to find a way to dispose of my plastics as Suwannee County does not recycle them. Wow.

But back to the water issue. There are a few aquifers here in Florida and they are precious. Unfortunately, the pressure we've put on them due to our population explosion is measurable and we are seeing lower aquifers (with resultant sink holes) as well as salt water intrusion. I don't believe we should be trying to quench the world's thirst with our water. Here's a map of our aquifers...

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And here's a map of the current water bottlers in Florida...

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As best as I could figure out, Nestle pulls 500,000 gal/day out of it's Zepherhills plant and they want to start pulling 1,250,000 gal/day out of Ginnie. Ice River Springs already has a plant just outside of Ginnie that's pulling 750,000 gal/day, so we're talking about a collective 2,000,000 gal/day. This can't be healthy for the already beleaguered aquifer or the businesses currently relying on the various springs in the area to survive. No, I don't have any answers and I'm probably a part of the problem. I hope we figure something out before Ginnie, Little River, Jug Hole, Cow, the Peacock system and other caves dry up. I don't want to walk them.

Why would economically feasible have anything to do with doing the right thing?

A medium size orchard here goes through over 4 million gallons a day of irrigation water.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Why would economically feasible have anything to do with doing the right thing?

A medium size orchard here goes through over 4 million gallons a day of irrigation water.

And they pay nothing for it because it comes from a well? This economic model seems wrong to me.

 

[NAM001]

I'm no expert, but I don't believe enough rainwater falls to sustain Atlanta's reservoirs, the farmers to the south, the oyster beds near the coast, and all of the others who take water along the way before what's left reaches the Gulf of Mexico. What was once a flow decades ago is now a relative trickle by the time it reaches the coast. Same for a number of other rivers, of course--the Colorado comes to mind.

I know even less about the hydrology of the Floridian Aquifer, but I am guessing there is a similar issue of it not refilling with rainwater sufficiently fast to sustain all who take water from it. As I understand it, despite the occasional torrential rains and flooding, over the longer term there has been, and is predicted to continue to be, a net loss of water from the aquifer. Someone correct me if I am mistaken.

I would agree adn If i remember florida was running low a few years back Just like Lake travis in austin was. it is full again and it runs in cycles.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I would agree adn If i remember florida was running low a few years back Just like Lake travis in austin was. it is full again and it runs in cycles.

I admittedly didn't read the links to the "data" that a couple of others posted above, but I believe the implication was that the aquifer is NOT "full again."

 

[The Chairman]

but I believe the implication was that the aquifer is NOT "full again."

That's an accurate belief.

 

[NAM001]

And they pay nothing for it because it comes from a well? This economic model seems wrong to me.

So by that logic it is not a issue of taking the water it is what someone is getting paid for it. This is the same as every business goes through as to where to decide to build a plant. they go where the reasources are at and teh taxes are low to insure a bottom line. If the issue if taking water then stop it at teh permit level, then it can be a jobs issue. but if it is not then it is a matter of consumption. consumption from a plastic bottle is the same water total if from a tap. The total is the same drop for drop. And again if it is a consumption matter then how does one regulate the exchange of consumed items. Are you going to exchange you water credits for another states copper credits because that state makes home wiring. or wisconsin for dairy/ fart credits. or how about states such as california that buy from outside the state so they can effectivly export manufacturing pollution to other states by not producing themselves. Its been a while but I recall Cali complaining about Texas's oil area and the pollutiion they make while making their gasoline for their clean state.

Point being every state swallows the burdon of the nation ills when it comes to one sector of products or another. Midwest its chemichals used in grain production. Texas and La areas its pollution making liquid energy. California and silicone valley is exhaust emmissions. Fla and the mountains have water that is easiest to refine for sale.

A while back my area was in a battle over water. we had a normal surpluss and water runninginto the gulf. HOuston has a shortage. Houston got their panties in a knot when our area would not give water to them. As paul Harvey say here is the rest of the story. Houston wanted a contracted guaranteed amount of water delivered to cover their growth even if it meant taking every drop and our rivers drying up. for that reason the negotiations died. We were willing to share our excess with them but we were not willing to commit ourselves such that we had to ask water form them in drier times.

 

[NAM001]

I admittedly didn't read the links to the "data" that a couple of others posted above, but I believe the implication was that the aquifer is NOT "full again."

It probably will not be full again for a while but it will get there. .

 

[NAM001]

Source?

It was as reported on the news perhaps it was 1 % . but it ame out with the straw fiasco where other countries poor habits was being used to push the give a straw and go to jail thing.

 

[NAM001]

The United States ranks 20th globally for plastic production (13%) and contributes 1% globally to marine plastic debris. So even though we are far from the top producer, in actual plastic, we are still putting a lot into our oceans.

https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/h...and_into_the_ocean.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Yes it is but fixing our 1% totally changes nothing in the global picture. The efforts are misdirected by sounding alarms in the US as compared to other countries. Yes we need to be more thoughtful in any waste disposal. The panic reminds me of hte clinton automakers thing about making a polutant free auto for 14 trilion. Then a scientist came out and said that one poof of a volcano is equal to 10.000 years of auto emissions.

Perhaps we cold buy other nations plastics and use it to make roads but that still does not eliminate the source of the problem. And as a side thing what would people take to the beaches to drink from. the plastic was shifted to to avoid glass. I dont know what is done with recycled plastics that are collected. I suppose they are being dumped in the oceans and that has to stop. Just like haz mat dumping in teh oceans by manufacturers is wrong the problem of eliminating it is a daunting one.

 

[BRT]

And they pay nothing for it because it comes from a well? This economic model seems wrong to me.

I guess you could give Nestles a tax subsidy for bringing in the jobs and then charge them for the water.