IMO, commercial water extraction permits should be linked to aquifer recovery; if the aquifer levels are dropping, the commercial companies should be required to stop until the aquifer is stable again. If it never becomes stable again due to other pressures, commercial extraction never starts again.
That’s the way the permits SHOULD be granted.
I like your approach, and for what it’s worth, I live in about a half km from the aberfoyle bottling plant, and am on well water from the same aquifer as the plant. I’ve never once had well issues, or low water.
I’m in no way trying to “carry water” for a terrible company like Nestle, however the impact on the local populations water supply is minimal, and the community benefits from tax dollars that keep our property costs relatively low and our community centres and parks well maintained.
Again, fuck nestle and their more nefarious business practices, but there is some nuance to the discussion.
Letting corporations drain our water reserves for the most meager of profits feels incredibly shortsighted, but especially so when you consider literally every long-term climate model. That water is going to be incredibly valuable in the not-too-distant future
The other important half of this is limiting bottled water. They are only extracting because someone is buying it.
People trust bottled water that is NOT tested more than they trust municipal water that is tested multiple times per day.
I don’t understand that at all.
Municipal water has to publicly report problems, private bottled water doesn’t. It looks like they’re safer only because they’re quieter about it.
Now do Nestle
Nestle actually sold off their water bottling operation in 2021 due to all the bad press. Blue Triton is the result of that sale.
Just ban water taking unless it is from waste water or rain water. There is no reason you need to take water from untapped sources for commercial use.
I’m iffy on rain water. On the small scale it’s fine, but it might have be impacts for something large scale.
Go ham on seawater and desalination though.
