For Immediate Release - June 7, 2021

Wellington Water Watchers (WWW) renews its opposition to permits to take water (PTTW) for bottling.  Bottling water is a low-priority, waste-producing, fossil fuel intensive, unnecessary use of  groundwater that is extracted without the consent of First Nations. 

WWWs reasons for renewing its opposition to PTTW for bottling include: 

1. Triton Water Holdings Canada Inc. (Triton) is a different type of business than Nestlé. 

• One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co., the private equity investors behind  Triton, extends Wall Street’s dangerous water profiteering tentacles into Ontario. 

• Metropoulos is a buy-and-sell company, not a buy-and-hold company like Nestlé. It  acquires underperforming brands, streamlines operations to cut costs, and implements  risky financial tools to extract value before selling to investors at a profit. The turnaround  from purchase to sale typically takes only four to seven years. (See BlueTriton Fact Sheet) 

2. Triton Waters application for a 10-year renewal of the permits is simply not credible, as it is  highly unlikely that Triton Water will still be the owner in ten years. 

3. Triton/Nestlé does not have the consent of First Nations. 

• Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council issued a cease-and-desist order 2 years ago (June 7,  2019)  

• The elected Band Council of Six Nations has never been consulted and has never given  consent. 

• Chiefs Of Ontario issued a moratorium on permits to take water for bottling in 2018. 

4. The bottling plant in Aberfoyle will continue to package water in single use plastic bottles – 3.2 million every day – half of which will result in landfill or litter. (See Plastic Bottle Fact Sheet) 

• As Shane Philips makes the walk from Guelph to Aberfoyle bottling plant Triton/Nestle´ will  produce enough 500 ml plastic bottles which if laid to end - will extend from the Aberfoyle  bottling plant to Premier Doug Ford’s Constituency office (68 kms).  

• In the 5 hours it takes a person to walk from Guelph City Hall to Aberfoyle bottling plant  and back, Triton/Nestlé will produce enough 500 ml plastic bottles which if laid to end - will  extend from the Aberfoyle bottling plant to Jeff Yurek’s Constituency office in St. Thomas  (137 kms). (Jeff Yurek is the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks) 

5. Single use plastic has a heavy carbon footprint in its life-cycle from production to distribution,  and breaks down into microplastics, a growing threat to wildlife and to human health

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