The Environment

Wood County Project

What is Ozarka's environmental policy?

Ozarka, as part of Nestlé Waters North America, practices an open process of sound scientific investigation to ensure responsible spring development and management. Every spring water project is initiated with the very long-term in mind: that means sustaining the natural resources for future generations.

The company will only move forward with its project in Wood County if the science shows that its spring water operations can be supported by the spring geology of the area. Ozarka wants to ensure that there will be no adverse impact to the water supply of neighboring landowners or downstream users. Ozarka stands behind its legacy of responsible spring water management.

We depend on our lakes for business and recreation in Wood County. How can I be sure Ozarka will not affect our area lakes, streams and rivers?

If spring water collection threatens to negatively impact area lakes, streams and rivers, Ozarka will not move forward with its plans. In addition, there are routine tests required by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission to ensure that the spring water source is not "groundwater under the influence" of surface water. For lakes and streams that are up gradient, Ozarka will conduct this test (GUI testing) to confirm the origin of the spring water and that the spring water is not connected to these surface waters. For lakes and streams or other such surface water features that are down gradient from the spring, Ozarka will measure water flows.

The roads in Wood County can't take a lot of heavy truck use. Will the county (and our taxes) be responsible for repairing what Ozarka tears up?

No. Ozarka will cooperate wherever possible with local taxing and transportation authorities to pay its fair share of maintenance and repair of the roads. This is an agreement Ozarka and Nestlé Waters have made at other spring operations where road maintenance is an issue, and we continue to work with local officials to determine the best cooperative solutions to maintain the conditions of the roads. If the company makes the decision to move forward with this proposal, Ozarka representatives will meet with the appropriate authorities to discuss possible solutions to any potential transportation or road problems.

I have a shallow well in the vicinity of Ozarka's testing. How will I know my well won't be affected?

Based on data collected from the research phase, scientific models will be used to predict if any water supply beyond its own property boundary will be affected due to water collection. Monitoring wells are placed around the perimeter of the property and in a circle around the spring at various distances. Measurements taken from these wells will demonstrate how much the water table is affected by water collection and at which point no effects are seen. Based on the properties of water flow, if there is no affect on the wells closer to the spring, there will be no affect on wells farther away. In addition, the other springs located on the properties also serve as reliable monitoring points to evaluate the reaction of the spring water aquifer to testing and simulated collection activities.

It just makes sense that if you take out 54 million gallons of water from Wood County springs, then the environment will never recover. How do you explain this?

First, remember that spring water is a readily renewable resource and is directly attributable to the amount of rainfall in East Texas. The sands that compose these particular shallow spring water aquifers enable them to recharge quickly. Second, only a minute percentage of the total water available would be collected from this renewable resource (see below). Further, water is neither created nor destroyed; it simply changes forms or locations in the water cycle. Even if the water is transported out of Wood County, it still remains available in the total water cycle. The properties of water flow have not changed -- but our ability to measure them has improved significantly.

What is the rainfall or recharge for the area Ozarka is studying?

Wood County receives an average 40 inches (3.3 feet) of rainfall per year, multiplied by 2180 acres being studied, equals 7194 acre/feet of rainfall. One acre foot of water is equal to 325,851 gallons. So the rainfall measured in gallons on 2180 acres would equal about 2.3 billion gallons per year. Ozarka's proposal calls for 54 million gallons per year.

How can you be sure you're getting spring water when you use a borehole?

Tests required by the FDA ensure that the spring water is in fact the same water that would emerge from the spring's orifice, but it is collected underground to preserve sanitation. If Ozarka pumped water from the aquifer in general, it could not be licensed to produce and label its product as "spring water." Significant testing must be done to verify that the water collected can indeed be identified as spring water.

How much water is 54 million gallons?

For most people, it is difficult to imagine how much 54 million gallons (the benchmark number for Ozarka's annual use in Wood County) is in comparison to more common uses. Here are some comparative uses of water:

The Holly Lake Water Supply used more than 111 million gallons to supply the water needs of 3,476 residents in 1998.

The city of Mineola used 295 million gallons to supply the water needs of 4,791 residents in 1998.

195 million gallons of water are required to manufacture 5000 cars with four tires.

A large, full service hotel averages 63 million gallons of water per year.

54 million gallons would be needed to irrigate an 85 acre crop of corn or pecans or 140 acres of cotton for the entire year.

If it doesn't rain, will Ozarka stop collecting water?

Ozarka relies on the expertise of its own staff of geologists using scientific monitoring equipment at each spring site to determine when to reduce water collection due to periods of drought. Water collection may remain steady, be reduced or stopped altogether depending on the natural flow of the spring and the impact of water collection in drought conditions. The company will uphold its commitment to not adversely impact the environment or the neighboring water supplies. Further, it is not in Ozarka's economic best interest to damage a spring - the goal is to protect the spring sites and safeguard them during periods of drought.

Will Ozarka's spring water operations affect the municipal drinking supply?

No. Typically, municipal water supplies are derived from surface waters or from aquifers like the Wilcox at depths of 600 to 1000 feet. The spring water aquifers are not part of the same formation and have no hydrologic connection to aquifers this deep because normally there is an impermeable barrier that forces the water to move horizontally, not vertically, toward the point of discharge. In addition to the physical limitations, the water chemistry varies from the shallow spring water aquifer to the deeper, regional water supply aquifers. The difference in mineral content indicates that the two saturated zones are different and therefore not connected.

What impact in general will Ozarka's operations have on the water supplies in Wood County?

Once the tests results are compiled, Ozarka hopes that the science shows that spring water collection will not have any affect on the general water supplies in Wood County. If tests show that water collection will adversely impact the environment or neighboring water supplies, the company will not move forward with the project or will not develop that particular spring.

Will Ozarka use boreholes or natural catchment to collect its spring water?

There are a variety of factors that are considered when choosing between natural catchment and borehole collection. Each spring is different and has unique physical attributes - some springs are better suited to using one over the other.

Perrier uses boreholes at Roher Spring and natural catchment boxes at Moffitt Spring and in Utopia. Since there is no one-size-fits-all answer, Ozarka allows the local geology to ultimately determine which method of collection is most suitable for a particular location. In addition, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) must approve the construction and design of the collection system before spring water operations begin.

Borehole: Typically, a 6-inch borehole taps into the spring water aquifer just before the spring water emerges from the ground where it can be exposed to surface contaminants. This method can provide the most sanitary conditions for collecting spring water. When boreholes are used, the spring provides continuous downstream flow.

Natural Catchment: Natural catchment is a method of collecting spring water by using a catchment box built horizontally into the spring where the water emerges from the ground. Some springs are located in a geological formation that prevents construction of a box or the construction would create too much disruption to the spring itself. To collect the spring water, downstream flow is interrupted periodically while the spring flow is diverted to the box.