One of the most controversial products in history is mineral water. Various companies claim that all they do is pump and bottle water from springs – which often raises the question of what they actually charge money for, if those springs are also used to pump drinking water that can be extracted from the tap for a fraction of the price. Now, it appears that for the first time in the world, regulators are trying to put an end to this market. We used ChatGPT to tell the story:
California's water regulator has issued a cease-and-desist order against BlueTriton Brands, a former subsidiary of food and beverage giant Nestle. According to the state's Water Resources Council, which passed unanimously, the company has no legal right to pump, bottle and sell water from San Bernardino Springs under the Arrowhead brand.
It marks the growing struggle for drinking water sources as the world experiences more frequent and severe droughts than ever before. It also sets a significant precedent for other water-using companies in California that now need to review the legal foundations of their operations.
The Arrowhead brand, which was owned by Nestle and in 2021 became a separate company called BlueTriton Brands, offers bottled water pumped from eight springs in the San Bernardino National Forest, and according to the label on the bottles it has been doing so for almost 130 years (since 1894). Recently, local activists filed a complaint with the council alleging that the brand was stealing public water, and the local Desert Sun newspaper revealed that the company's water pumping permit expired years ago, sparking outrage.
The legal battle consisted of a series of hearings, during which lawyers presented data, maps and historical documents, and called witnesses to the stand. BlueTriton relied on the determination that the cease and desist order exceeded the Water Board's authority, arguing that the water pumped was groundwater and not surface water, for which the Council is responsible. The local activists, on the other hand, argued that in any case it was a public resource, which no company owned.
The cease-and-desist order against BlueTriton Brands sets a precedent in the ongoing debate over water rights and corporate control over natural resources. It shows the power of public activism, and the question marks and power struggles over the future of services and products that may now be considered basic and self-evident, but are becoming more and more important in light of global changes.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us