Draining Ginnie Springs one water bottle at a time

Spring water: from charming beauty to water bottle

Florida has more springs than any other state in the U.S.. They have been popular family vacation destinations for much longer than our theme parks. The clear turquoise waters stay at a cool 72 degrees year round and draw kayakers, paddle boarders, divers and campers from all over. Many come to see the manatees, alligators, turtles, birds, and fish that call the springs home. Our families recharge from long work weeks in these waters that make the sunshine state so special.

Ginnie Springs in northwest Florida is an iconic summer recreation spot. It includes a network of springs all connected to the Sante Fe River. Ginnie and other Florida springs have been losing water for years to the beverage bottling industry. And now Ginnie may suffer the consequences in a big way.

Seven Springs Water Company owns the land Ginnie Springs is on and has secured a permit from the state to pump more than a million gallons of water a day for bottling. That’s enough to fill one and half Olympic-size swimming pools every day. This permit tripled the amount that was previously pulled from the spring and could drop spring levels dangerously low. The request was made when Nestle’ Waters of North America purchased a nearby bottling plant and significantly increased its capacity. Nestlé has since sold the plant and its water bottling interests to BlueTriton, whose brands include Poland Springs, Pure Life, and Ice Mountain.

What happens when the water levels drop?

The state sets minimum flow levels for springs and the rivers they feed. According to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), drawing on areas that fall at or below those levels “would be significantly harmful to the water resources or ecology of the area”. When water levels drop too low, water quality declines, vegetation dies and animals like manatees, turtles and fish are forced to find new homes. Parts of Ginnie Springs and the Santa Fe River don’t currently meet that minimum flow level and are listed as being in recovery. The minimum flow levels are in place to directly impact decisions affecting permit applications for water withdrawals. In this case, the DEP ruled to issue the permit despite the minimum flow level.

Additionally the water that bubbles out of these springs comes from our limestone aquifer deep underground. It’s the main source of drinking water for Floridians. Aquifer levels have dropped three feet in the last 20 years, meanwhile the U.S. Census confirmed Florida has the fastest growing population in the nation. The needs of our exploding population put further stress on our natural resources ability to provide fresh drinking water. All of this should have made the DEP reconsider issuing this permit. It alone will reduce the spring flow more than every other water use in the area combined.

How is this environmentally safe?

It’s not. Environmental groups fought to stop the DEP from issuing the permit, and lost. Permits must demonstrate they are in the “public’s interest” since they are tapping a public resource. Activists sued the state, arguing that further reducing flow to a river basin that was already struggling was NOT in the public’s interest. Thousands of people signed a petition to stop the permit. But the judge found in favor of the state and Seven Springs Water Company.

The permit proposal doesn’t even make financial sense for Florida taxpayers. The state invests over $50 million dollars a year into the preservation of our springs because the water that flows through them are public waters. But current bottlers pay a one-time permit application fee of just $115 for the right to pump, the water is free. 

The state’s Department of Environmental Protection failed to protect Florida’s environmental interests and the public when it issued this permit. Now we are appealing directly to BlueTriton to leave Ginnie Springs alone. We’re asking them to abandon plans that will almost certainly bring further harm to the spring and river ecosystem according to the state’s own assessment. If they don’t pay for the water, there is no reason to drain it.

Join us in sending a message to BlueTrition urging them to abandon the proposed plans to increase bottling at Ginnie Springs.

The clear life-giving waters that flow through Ginnie Springs are owned by us, the residents of Florida. Keeping them healthy, abundant and clean so our families can enjoy them for generations to come is in the public’s best interest. 

Let’s stand up for Ginnie Springs and tell the bottling giant to leave.