Oversight of bottled water firms lacking
By Ian James, Desert Sun
Some lawmakers are raising questions about the impacts of bottled water companies on water supplies in California after a Desert Sun investigation found little government oversight of the amounts of water being tapped or the effects on the environment.
Despite the drought, no state agency has been tracking exactly how much water is used by industries such as the state’s 108 bottled water plants. The Desert Sun also found that the U.S. Forest Service has been allowing Nestle Waters North America to keep using a pipeline to transport spring water out of the San Bernardino National Forest even though its permit expired in 1988.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said the Desert Sun’s report raised important issues that should be addressed.