A water bottling company that triggered a fierce debate over water rights in Michigan is considering pumping groundwater from two sites in Newaygo County, including one believed to be near the headwaters of the White River.

Nestle Waters North America is looking for more sources of spring water for its Ice Mountain brand, which has been bottled since 2002 at a facility in Stanwood, south of Big Rapids. Nestle has been studying two new possible well sites in Newaygo County for the past three years, company spokeswoman Deb Muchmore said.

"There are a couple of sites in Newaygo county we're interested in because of the proximity to the (Ice Mountain) facility in Stanwood and the possibility of the company building a second bottling facility in the region," Muchmore said.

Muchmore said Nestle is considering building a second bottling plant in Michigan or Indiana. Its existing facility in Stanton, which employs 250 and has a $15 million annual payroll, bottles about 80 million gallons of groundwater pumped annually from four wells at a hunting preserve southeast of Big Rapids. That water comes from underground springs that are part of the Muskegon River watershed.

Newt Dilley, a property owner along the White River, said he fears pumping millions of gallons of water out of the White's watershed could hurt the river, which is much smaller than the Muskegon.

"If they put wells near the headwaters of the White River, I can't help but think that it's going to have a serious impact on the most valuable natural resource this county has," said Dilley, a Grand Rapids attorney who owns a riverfront cottage northeast of White Cloud.

Nestle's Stanton bottling facility sparked a 2002 lawsuit from a group of residents who claimed the pumping operation harmed nearby waterways. A Mecosta County judge ordered Nestle in 2003 to stop drawing water from the wells, but the decision was put on hold during Nestle's appeal.

Nestle earlier this year settled the 2002 lawsuit that was filed by the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation. The two sides agreed that Nestle could withdraw an average of 218 gallons of water a minute from four wells east of Stanton, half as much as the company wanted; Nestle has appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.

As the court case drags on, Nestle is forging ahead with plans to make its Stanton bottling plant the hub of a sprawling water bottling business that is fed by a surrounding network of groundwater wells. The company also bottles water it buys from the city of Evart.

"I don't know how Nestle feels it can go ahead and expand when there is still a lawsuit pending," said Terry Swier, president of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation.

One of the possible pumping sites in Newaygo County spans hundreds of acres in Monroe Township, near the headwaters of the White River, a state-protected trout stream, said Dilley. The site surrounds Kinney Lake, northeast of White Cloud, and is just south of the Oxford Swamp, the headwaters of the White. Some water from the swamp also feeds the Pere Marquette River system.

The Chronicle couldn't reach the property owner for comment.

Muchmore did not identify where in Newaygo County Nestle was considering sinking new water wells. Sixteen ounce bottles of the water typically sell for about $1 each.

Monroe Township Supervisor Joe Catalano said he was unaware of Nestle's interest in groundwater in the township, but added: "It's going to be a point of interest if it's true."

After speaking to Nestle's attorney, and the former and current owners of a large parcel of land in Monroe Township the company apparently is studying as a possible pumping site, Dilley said he is convinced the project will happen.

"They have spent a lot of money on this over a long period of time; I can't believe they're just going to pack up and go home," Dilley said.

Nestle would have to obtain a state permit to pump more than 100,000 gallons of groundwater per day from its new wells. The company has not yet applied for any of the required permits, local and state officials said.

Muchmore said Nestle hopes to announce plans for a second bottling facility early next year and have it open by 2009. She said the company spends years studying potential well sites to ensure there is enough water to meet the company's needs without harming the environment.

Muchmore said the groundwater Nestle hopes to pump with its new wells is "a small amount." She noted that other companies, including farms and factories, use more groundwater daily than Ice Mountain bottles and sells throughout the Midwest.

Tom Hamilton, vice chairman of the White River Watershed Partnership, said he was disappointed: "After the Muskegon River watershed and the White River watershed, which river is next for Nestle?" said Hamilton, a former government fisheries biologist. "Is any river in the state safe from this?"

 

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