California may limit how much company behind Arrowhead bottled water can draw from mountain springs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California officials may vote Tuesday to slash how much water the company that makes Arrowhead bottled water can pull from a watershed in the San Bernardino National Forest, the latest action in a yearslong dispute.

The State Water Resources Control Board will consider whether to issue a cease-and-desist order against BlueTriton, the company that produces the widely-known Arrowhead water.

For more than a century, the company has drawn water from certain points in the San Bernardino National Forest. The water board's order wouldn't bar BlueTriton entirely from taking water from the mountains but would restrict it.

The proposal comes after years of fighting between the bottling company and residents who want to protect the watershed and see it restored to its natural state.

The controversy began years ago after residents of nearby communities raised questions about the drying habitat in places that once had springs supporting wildlife including fish. The U.S. Forest Service acknowledged that a permit for pipes carrying the water had expired and issued a new permit for this pipeline to the company, which then was Nestle Waters North America.

State officials also investigated. The case went before an administrative hearing office for the State Water Resources Control Board. The office determined the company didn't have the right to take water from several spots in the Strawberry Creek Watershed. In other spots further downstream, the office said more investigation would be needed for state officials to make such a claim.

BlueTriton collected 68 million gallons (257 million liters) of water in 2019 from the spring but only bottled about 10 million gallons (38 million liters), returning most of the...