Nestlé in Michigan

Since May 2002, a facility owned by the Nestlé Corporation has been pumping 200-400 gallons per minute from a Michigan aquifer that is hydrologically connected to the Great Lakes. The majority of the water pumped out is bottled and shipped away, never to return to the watershed. Citizens have been fighting the export scheme since its inception, using legal strategies and through direct-action grassroots organizing. Two organizations, the Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation and Sweetwater Alliance, are leading the fight to stop Nestle’s from exporting major quantities of freshwater out of the Great Lakes Basin.

In order to stop Nestlé's destruction citizen's groups filed a case against the corporation and initially won. Nestle appealed to the Mecosta county circuit court, but Michigan citizen's won another victory when the case was denied February 13, 2004. Read more about the case in Breaking the (Water) Seal.

To read the 49th Judicial Cicuit court (Mecosta county circuit court) legal opinion and order regarding defendant Nestlé North America Inc.'s motion for a new trial and amendment judgement click here (pdf). 

Read Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation's Five point approach for stewardship of Michigan's water.