While the drought conditions worsen across California, water officials have moved to stop the siphoning of millions of gallons of water out of the San Bernardino forest by the water and food company Nestlé.
For years, environmentalists have accused Nestlé of draining water supplies at the expense of local communities and the ecosystem. The latest development in a protracted battle between the bottled water company and local environmentalists is the draft cease-and-desist order, which requires the approval of the California Water Resources Control Board before getting any water supply.
According to The Guardian, Nestlé has maintained that its rights to California spring water dates back to 1865. However, an investigation in 2017 found out that the company was taking far more than its share. Last year, the company drew out around 58 million gallons, which is far beyond the allowed 2.3m gallons per year that it could claim validly.