Nestlé Waters is committed to positively influencing communities
Well before I started working for Nestlé Waters, I knew I wanted a career focused on the stewardship of natural resources. I chose to study hydrogeology because I knew that water, as a basic human need, would require careful management in a world that is rapidly changing. Water is a renewable natural resource that is used for many purposes, and when used responsibly, I believe that it can also support the economic health of a community.
As a natural resources manager for Nestlé Waters, I’ve had the opportunity to do that work firsthand. When Nestlé Waters opened its first bottling plant in Pennsylvania, we had 75 employees. Today, we employ more than 600 Pennsylvanians in well-paying jobs with a full benefits package. Those jobs are supported by the seven Pennsylvania spring water sites that we developed and have managed sustainably while complying with all of our permits.
As was reported by the CDT in early January, Nestlé Waters is considering building a bottled water manufacturing facility in Spring Township or Benner Township. We are currently conducting thorough scientific due diligence of the water resources and considering potential properties for a facility. If the results are favorable, our plan is to purchase water from the Spring Township Water Authority just like any other commercial, manufacturing or industrial business. The volume of water we would purchase is less than 0.3 percent of the average daily flow of Spring Creek at Milesburg, which is about 25 percent of how much water Corning used for its operation.
Nestlé Waters would invest $50 million into a new manufacturing facility that would be constructed to obtain a U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. At least 50 jobs would be created to operate the facility, about 80 other jobs (trucking, maintenance, etc.) would be supported by the operations, and more than $57 million would be injected annually into the local economy. Nestlé Waters would pay more than $150,000 per year in taxes to the Bellefonte Area School District, and tens of thousands of tax dollars would be paid to the county and township.
While my area of expertise is water, many of the questions I’ve been asked during recent meetings with residents have been about our packaging and our continued sustainable practices. The reality of today’s fast paced lifestyle is that almost 70 percent of what we drink comes in a package — and for the first time ever, more Americans are choosing bottled water over bottled soda. The fact is that bottled water is a healthy choice and has the lightest carbon footprint of all packaged beverages.
Over the past 24 years, Nestlé Waters has saved 5 billion pounds of plastic and reduced CO2 emissions by 770,000 tons by reducing the PET plastic content of our bottles as well as our label size. We use a regional approach to distribution of our domestic bottled water brands that reduces shipping distances, emissions and fuel use.
Still, we know the work we have already done to reduce the environmental impact of our packaging is not enough. Last year, we joined forces with Danone and Origin Materials to launch the NaturALL Bottle Alliance. The alliance’s aim is to develop a plastic bottle made from 100 percent sustainable and renewable bio-based material, and make the technology available to the entire food and beverage industry.
As a Pennsylvania native who has made a career of water science and stewardship at Nestlé Waters, I’m proud of the company’s ongoing commitment to reduce our impact — both nationally and in our commonwealth. One of my most important contributions to these efforts has been to ensure the responsible management of our Pennsylvania water resources over the past 12 years in a manner that supports long-term local jobs. I’ve seen that in my own community in the Lehigh Valley, and I hope to see it here, too.
I know that responsible water management and good business is about more than just science. It requires transparency about water use and dedication to encourage and educate the next generation of water stewards. One of the most personally enriching parts of my job is helping young people understand the vital role water plays in their lives, their communities, the environment and the economy. In eastern Pennsylvania, Nestlé Waters enables my colleagues and me to sponsor and volunteer at water education events, support watershed restoration and enhancement projects, and routinely provide monetary and product donations to various organizations in our host communities — with a special emphasis on water related initiatives. Nestlé Waters is committed to having a positive influence in the communities where we have operations, and I look forward to engaging with the Spring and Benner township communities about how we can do the same here. I hope to meet more residents at our upcoming information session, and will have colleagues on hand to answer questions about jobs, packaging, economic benefits and more. In the meantime, I invite residents to visit nestlewaterspa.com to learn more about Nestlé Waters in Pennsylvania.
Eric Andreus, P.G., is a hydrogeologist and a native Pennsylvanian. He has been a Natural Resource Manager for Nestlé Waters in the Northern Mid-Atlantic region for nearly 12 years.
This story was originally published January 20, 2018 at 8:33 PM with the headline "Nestlé Waters is committed to positively influencing communities."