CONSIDERING THANKSGIVING OF CLEAN WATER

When the weather changes, many of us in north Florida think of the outdoors and celebrate the exceptional fall weather by reconnecting with the abundant beauty that is north Florida. 

Recent conversations about the interest of Nestle Corporation in tapping the
Wacissa River as a source for more bottles of water that we don't need has engaged a number of conservation groups and activists interested in preserving what is left of our aquifer and natural beauty of rural north Florida.   

This week, the Suwannee River Water Management District( SRWMD) met with concerned citizens, including the groups Protecting our Wacissa River and Springs and Friends of the Wacissa.  

The most important thing is knowing who will make decisions about permitting and how tapping the Wacissa as a bottling resource will affect all of Florida.  Access to potable water is the most critical issue facing our planet and the more we diminish our resources, the sooner we reach a critical juncture.  

There are several things that we, as citizens, can do to support the efforts of these small groups that have raised awareness:

1. Go to the Suwannee River Management District website and learn who is on the Board and how the permit process works.
2. Stay informed and sign up for regular E-mails from the Save the Wacissa website.
3. Share this information with a colleague at work, someone in your neighborhood, someone who may not be active in environmental issues.  The more people who are aware of the issue, the more difficult it becomes for decisions to be made without public scrutiny.  

Finally, there is a great article from the Monticello News, published last month, that gives a great summary of details to date and lays out a little history, with some interesting quotes from the public relations firm representing Nestle.  The process could take over a year, giving more likelihood that the interest in posing objections from the public will wane over time. 

". . .the decision would depend on a host of variables, including the outcome of the testing and data gathering and the willingness of the Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) to issue a permit."

 Read the entire article at this website. 

Read updates on the Save the Wacissa web page or join their Facebook page here.

Raise a glass of tap water at the Thanksgiving table in support of access to clean, free drinking water for everyone, everywhere.

 

Posted in: Nestle,Save the Wacissa,Suwannee River Water management district