In a state still reeling from the Flint crisis the Swiss company would get nearly free access to pump 210m gallons a year for its bottled water business

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Michigan regulators were deluged with angry comments this week, after reports that the state had drafted a permit approval for Nestlé to nearly double the amount of groundwater it pumps from a plant in Evart, Michigan to 210m gallons a year.

The pumping increase is only expected to cost the Swiss food giant $200 a year, and possibly the price of a permit fee, because its bottling plant in Evart is considered a private well under state law, regulators said.

In a statement, Nestlé touted the move as a boon to the state because it is created “some 20 new jobs”. The company is valued at $219bn.

Some local residents were not so enthusiastic.

“Why on earth would the state of Michigan, given our lack of money to address water matters of our own, like Flint, even consider giving MORE water for little or no cost to a foreign corporation with annual profits in the billions?” a man from Ada, Michigan wrote to regulators, who provided the message and others to the Guardian.

“Please do not attempt to justify giving away our resources for the ‘benefit’ of Nestlé adding 20 more jobs.”

The Nestlé plant at Evart is just 120 miles from Flint, where a recent move by public officials to save money by switching water sources caused lead to contaminate the city’s water.

Flint’s water is still not safe to drink without a filter and health have officials said bacterial illnesses are on the rise because residents fear bathing. Flint’s mayor is still lobbying Congress for cash to fix the city’s pipes.

“Please, please, please reconsider allowing Nestlé to pump additional gallons of water from their facility near Evart,” wrote a woman who identified herself as being from Newaygo, Michigan. “The rape of our Michigan inland fresh water sources is a cause for concern, especially when it is done by a private company for profit.”

Another commenter told regulators Nestlé “could literally suck the life out of the state”.

The company’s proposal to increase pumping from 150 gallons a minute to 400 gallons a minute from an aquifer underneath the plant is part of a planned $36m expansion of bottled water operations in Stanwood, Michigan. The company has already increased pumping to 250 gallons per minute, an increase for which no permit was required.

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The additional water will be bottled under the Ice Mountain and Pure Life brands and distributed “throughout Michigan and the midwest”, according to a press release.

The company was sued by residents more than a decade ago, over a nearly identical permit.

In that case, Nestlé pumped 400 gallons of water per minute from a plant 30 miles south in Mecosta, Michigan. That rate is equal to around 576,000 gallons per day and 210 gallons per year. For a sense of scale, one million gallons is roughly the equivalent of a 267ft long, 50ft wide and 10ft deep swimming pool, according to the US Geological Survey.

In 2009, a settlement allowed Nestlé to pump 218 gallons of water a minute.

The lawyer who represented plaintiffs in that case, Jim Olson, criticized regulators for not giving the public more notice of the new proposal.

“We’ve seen an erosion of public notices and more internal official decisions,” Olson said. “That’s at the heart of the Flint water crisis, and now we have the same kind of institutionalized expediency here.”

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Michigan Live reported that the plan was first published by the Michigan department of environmental quality (MDEQ) last month, as part of its permit calendar. On Thursday, MDEQ officials extended the public comment period by 30 days and planned a public hearing.

A spokesperson for Nestlé Water North America, Christopher Rieck, said: “We appreciate that some people may have concerns … sustainability and water quality are top priorities for us as well.

“We are deepening our investment in Michigan to meet growing consumer demand. As we do so, we are committed to an open, transparent process that allows the public to share their views and learn more about our operations.”