Nestlé has come under fire for its plans to bottle more than a million gallons of water a day from natural springs in Florida.
Thousands of protesters are calling for the local water management district to deny the firm’s request of an additional 800,000 gallons -bringing its daily consumption up to 1.152 million gallons a day.
Because the springs are running at levels 30 percent to 40 percent lower than they were decades ago, experts and activists warn that 10 million people and the surrounding natural habitat will be in danger if approved.
Some 9,000 protesters have submitted comments to Seven Springs, a local Florida business involved in passing or denying Nestlé’s request, as they are concerned about the affects the increase will have on the springs and surrounding areas.
However, Rachel Pratt, a representative for Nestlé, told DailyMail.com in an email, ‘Nestle Waters is committed to helping maintain the health and long-term sustainability of Florida’s waterways in the areas where we operate.
‘We work with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure we meet all regulatory requirements, and we have strict procedures in place to help maintain the sustainability of our operations.’
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