French town of Vittel suffering water shortages as Nestle accused of ‘overusing’ resources
Jean-François Fleck, head of a local environmental group, Vosges Nature Environnement, said: “There has been a shortfall in water regeneration since the 1970s, when the water deficit was about 2.5 million cubic metres a year. Today it has stabilised at about 800,000 cubic metres, which is equivalent to Nestlé’s current usage.”
If nothing is done to halt the fall, residents used to having Vittel spring water on tap may be forced to rely on water piped in from the village of Lerrain, 12 miles away.
“The work would be funded out of people’s water bills so very clearly we are going to be paying so that Nestlé can continue taking and exporting our water,” Mr Schmitt said.