When authorities in Centre Wellington, population of about 30,000, learned that Nestlé had put a bid on a spring water well in their region, they scrambled over the summer to counter with a competing bid. An agreement forged with Nestlé after its initial bid, made 18 months earlier, gave the company the right to respond. Wellington Water Watchers, a volunteer-run organisation dedicated to the protection of water resources, said it would seek to block the company as it moves forward with its plans. The water in the well is artesian spring water, he said, making it particularly valuable to consumers outside of Canada. The failed bid comes amid growing calls for the Ontario government to reevaluate how it grants permits to the bottled-water industry.

Source: The Guardian September 24, 2016 10:00 UTC