Permitting
The proposed project involves review and approval by a variety of agencies including but not limited to:
Nestlé Waters has engaged these permitting agencies and other stakeholders early on in the project feasibility study. The CDOW and USACE have preliminarily reviewed the project scope and have no objections to the project as proposed.
Nestlé Waters has completed sustained pumping tests and extensive ground water quantity and quality monitoring. In support of its Chaffee County Special Land Use Permit and 1041 Permit applications, Nestlé Waters has prepared reports addressing hydrologic, environmental, traffic, and economic impacts.
State water law requires Nestlé to replace the spring water it collects with a court-approved augmentation plan. The Aurora City Council approved leasing Nestlé 200-acre-feet of water annually for ten years with an option to renew for an additional ten years. Aurora also has the right to stop its supply to Nestlé in the event of a severe Stage III drought. If a severe Stage III drought occurred, Nestlé Waters would be required to stop production at the spring sites. The 200-acre-feet per year in this lease is a tiny percentage of water available by Aurora (currently that number is approximately 52,000 acre feet but is expected to increase). Nestlé Waters’ proposed spring water operations contemplate a collection of approximately 124 gallons/minute of spring water (which is .03 cubic feet per second or cfs). The Arkansas River flows – at low flows – at approximately 250 cfs. Nestlé Waters’ spring water proposal of 0.3 cfs is actually immeasurable in the Arkansas River. Nestle Waters continues to seek opportunities to obtain a long-term augmentation plan that will be financially beneficial to Chaffee County.
Subsequent to approval of Special Use and 1041 permits, Chaffee County building permits would need to be secured for all infrastructure and structures required for the project.
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