Mineral water conservation: Nestlé targets through investigation into illegal drilling in France

2024-07-24 05:10:24

Embarrassing new revelations. Nestlé Waters, targeted by a preliminary investigation opened by the public prosecutor’s office of Epinal for fraud, is also targeted by another investigation for drilling without authorization, the city prosecutor said on Tuesday. “These two studies are still in progress” and are different, said Frédéric Nahon, confirming information from Mediapart.

Mediapart confirms that Nestlé Waters worked wells to extract water and sell it illegally, without authorization, between 1992 and 2019. This could represent, in the last 20 years of practice, more than 19 billion liters of water, according to investigative media, which refers to a report from representatives of the French Diversity Office submitted to the attorney general as part of this investigation.

“All drilling is known,” assures Nestlé

According to this report, nine boreholes were used without authorization, including five for Contrex and Vittel water, drawn from the Vosges. The other four holes involved are for hot showers and watering. The other eight will be “legally vulnerable”, according to the researchers’ documents in a summary table, cited by the media. The OFB researchers, cited by Mediapart, pointed out, as early as 2012, “a significant gap between the elements brought to the attention of the State’s activities and the actual state of the company’s assets”.

“All Nestlé Waters drilling in the Vosges is known, recognized and authorized by management and each m3 of water collected is declared to the authorities,” assures Nestlé Waters, specifying that “a management element from many decades were calculated by the Epinal prosecutor. “and that” Nestlé Waters has fully cooperated”. “Nestlé Waters France pays all taxes and royalties,” added the group.

In France, Nestlé Waters owns the brands Vittel, Contrex and Hépar, whose water is drawn and bottled in the Vosges, and Perrier, in the Gard. The group is also the target of another preliminary investigation opened by the public prosecutor’s office of Epinal for fraud, suspected of having used illegal treatments to purify water sold as natural mineral water.

At the end of January, Nestlé Waters admitted that it had used prohibited disinfection methods (UV lamp, activated carbon) to maintain the “food safety” of its Vosges water. Last week, Mediapart has confirmed that Nestlé Waters has used prohibited treatments for its three Vosges mineral waters for at least fifteen years.