Companies Continue to Bottle Water in California Despite Drought

California has been considered to be in a drought for four years. Residents and businesses have been ordered to decrease their water use by 25% because the state has record lows of snowpack. While the state struggles for the fourth year in a row, some startling news has come to light.

Several large companies, such as Starbucks and Walmart have been sourcing bottled water from California. The bottled water industry has not been regulated properly and residents are fighting as yet another company, Crystal Geyser moves to open a major bottling plant there.

All Californians have been asked by Governor Jerry Brown to reduce water consumption and these companies are raiding what’s left for bottled water to shipped all over the U.S. The Food & Water Watch is calling for a moratorium on bottling water in the state.

It’s obvious that there is little or no oversight of the bottled water industry, including major companies like Nestle, Coca Cola, and Pepsi. While it may not be a huge percentage of overall water use, amidst a four year drought, any percentage is too much.

Walmart is the latest company to be confronted with drawing water from municipal supplies. When their involvement was found and broadcast, the company responded that “We share those concerns and are tracking it closely,” the spokesperson said. “Our commitment to sustainability includes efforts to minimize water use in our facilities. We have and continue to work with our suppliers to act responsibly while meeting the needs of customers who count on us across California.”

Starbucks has been pressed to discontinue its use of California water for Ethos water that it uses in stores. The company plans to move production to a supply center in Pennsylvania and to seek other west coast suppliers for distribution.

Bottled water as a whole is under fire from the Food & Water Watch. The process has a negative effect on watersheds. The energy and oil used in manufacturing the bottles and then transporting them throughout the U.S. are harmful to the environment. The plastic bottle disposal issue causes a waste issue as well.

Crystal Geyser’s plan is to open a new plant near Mount Shasta. Mount Shasta feeds water into the Sacramento River. No permit is required to use that water, nor to conduct an environmental impact study or create a report. This really highlights the problem: There is little to no regulation of bottling plants. Crystal Geyser’s manufacturing plan includes pumping more water in one day than three homes do in an entire year.

So while California residents, farmers, and small businesses are mandated to cut their water use by 25%, allowing crops to die and causing major concerns throughout the state, these companies can bottle their water without legislation or regulation. Hopefully residents and the Food & Water Watch can approach government legislators to quickly remedy this problem before it hits crisis levels. Bottled water is a commodity. It should not be taken from a location that is already in dire water restriction.