Nestlé has been bottling and selling water that it does not have the legal right to use, officials in California have concluded.
Fights over water are a constant in California, exacerbated when drought years make the supply especially scarce.
Because California allocates water rights in part based on who got there first, getting to the bottom of those allegations required a deep dive into history.
“Westerners have savoured the natural goodness of Arrowhead water since bottling began in the 1890s,” the company’s website proclaims.
6/9 Nigeria A girl pumps water from a borehole provided by UNICEF in Old Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria Unicef.
“A significant portion of the water currently diverted by Nestlé appears to be diverted without a valid basis of right,” the report said.
While California law does not prohibit private companies like Nestlé from bottling the state’s water, the company is a regular target for environmentalists, Native Americans and other activists. »