Nestlé Waters North America runs an Ice Mountain bottled water plant in Michigan. The company has asked the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) to increase its current water withdrawal limit of 150 gallons per minute (GPM) to 400 GPM at an aquifer in Evart. The company will truck the water to its plant in Stanwood, where it will be packaged up and sold.

Let’s review the facts to see if MDEQ should allow this increase in pumping.

The Numbers

At 150 GPM, Nestlé is already withdrawing about 216,000 gallons per day. At 400 GPM, that jumps to 576,000 gallons per day — over 210 million gallons per year.

For this water, Nestlé pays… almost nothing. Michigan doesn’t charge for water extraction. The company pays only the cost of the permit application.

Meanwhile, Flint residents are still paying some of the highest water rates in the country for water they can’t drink.

The Environmental Impact

The aquifer in question feeds the headwaters of two coldwater trout streams. Local residents and environmental groups have documented drops in water levels and changes in stream flow since Nestlé began pumping.

Coldwater trout streams are increasingly rare and precious as climate change warms Michigan’s waters. Once damaged, they don’t come back.

What You Can Do

The MDEQ is accepting public comments on Nestlé’s permit application. The deadline is [check the MDEQ website for current status]. Your voice matters — these decisions are supposed to consider public input.

Write to the MDEQ. Attend public meetings. Talk to your state legislators. Michigan’s water belongs to all of us, not to the highest bidder.