Photo Gallery Bottled Water Blues
A Nestlé bottling plant in Contrexéville, France. A spat has broken out between the company and local residents in nearby Vittel, the town that is synonymous with one of Europe's most famous bottled waters. Groundwater levels have been sinking for years in the community and locals fear drinking water will become scarce.
Guy de la Motte-Bouloumié is the heir to the family that once owned the spring that is used to source Vittel water, but they sold to Nestlé almost 30 years ago, marking the end of an era in the town. A family that were viewed as patrons of the town were replaced by a Switzerland-based multinational conglomerate.
Jacqueline Verrier (center) is the head of the local history museum, which is dedicated to Vittel's history in the bottled water business and the Bouloumié family. Guy de la Motte-Bouloumié essentially invented the bottled water industry when his company became the first to sell it in plastic bottles decades ago. Verrier says the kind of capitalism that existed in the town back then was a different one.
This hotel and golf course in Vittel is operated by Club Med. The area has a colorful past as a spa town where business, affairs and marriages were initiated.
Christophe Klotz is the face of Nestlé in the town. It's his job to create positive publicity for a company that has suffered a lot of less than flattering coverage over the years.
An advertisement for the local hot springs in Vittel
An anti-Nestlé protest action in Vittel in January 2019. The sign on top of the bales of hay reads: "Gateway to the Desert."
