Nestle Waters Opens Bellefonte Office to Address Questions

With plans to potentially build a water bottling facility in Centre County that have left the public with many questions, Nestle Waters has opened an office in Bellefonte where company officials will be available to speak with residents about the project.

Located in the Titan Energy Park at 2022 Axeman Road, Bellefonte, Nestle spokesperson Kerrin Garripoli said the office is meant to be a place to engage with the community about the potential facility and answer questions.

“This will be a place to communicate with the public. We encourage people to stop in and talk,” said Garripoli.

Nestle announced in January its plans to use water purchased from Spring Township Water Authority to open a $50 million bottling facility in Spring or Benner Township.

On March 12, Nestle held an informational session at CPI that focused on the economic and environmental impact of the plant. More than 400 people were on hand, and it was clear they had many concerns about Nestle Waters’ intention in the county. Eric Andreus, Nestle Waters regional natural resource manager, announced at the meeting that the company would open an office in the area.

Residents continued to express concerns at a March 14 meeting hosted by the Sierra Club Moshannon Group and the Nittany Valley Environmental Coalition and at the Spring Township Water Authority meeting on Wednesday.

The proposed bottling facility will have water piped from a well operated by Spring Township Water Authority to either a Benner or Spring Township location at a rate of 300 gallons per minute. Andreus said the company is still in the process of determining a location for the facility. He said that if things move forward, the company hopes to begin planning stages for the facility this summer, with construction starting in early 2019. The facility potentially could open in 2020.

A Nestle Waters representative will be in the Bellefonte office from noon to 3 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. Additionally, the office will have a rotating schedule. Residents can check for updated hours on the company’s website, nestle-watersna.com/en/communities/your-community/pennsylvania.

Garripoli said the company plans to have a representative at the office more often during the initial stages of this process to address public concerns. Current scheduled office hours are Thursday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday, April 2, from noon to 3 p.m. and Tuesday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to noon. Local residents can also schedule appointments by sending an email to NWNA.Pennsylvania@outlook.com. But Garripoli said they are welcome to stop by without an appointment.