LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — There's already not enough water to go around in Lake County, but water managers are green-lighting a plan to let a local bottler sell even more of it.
Right now, Niagara Bottling pumps about 484,000 gallons of water out of the same aquifer where residents get their water.
Channel 9's Mark Joyella found water managers are recommending the company take double that amount per day for 20 more years, a move that has some residents fuming.
Many residents in South Lake said they didn't want the water plant at all, and one reason was a fear if it started taking water, they'd eventually want even more at a time when families are being asked to conserve.
Charles Franklin said the lake at the Woodlands Community in Groveland is within site of the Niagara plant, and has slowly but steadily been drying up.
Franklin is upset with the idea of having Niagara pump even more water out.
"You know, Florida's having a problem already with low water levels, droughts, and what worries me is if you start taking gallons and gallons of water out of here," he said.
But managers at St. Johns River Water Management District said they support the permit which would take water from a lower aquifer. They said, "Because (Niagara) are going lower or deeper, the small impact that occurred from the original withdrawal per day usage will be even smaller."
One resident told Channel 9 on Tuesday just as they were hearing about the permit request to double capacity at the Niagara plant they were getting warning letters from St. Johns River Water Management telling them their residential community is using too much water.
WFTV
