A group of residents in the Elora area is concerned that Nestle’s plan to bottle water from a site just outside that community could have long-term effects on the area’s water supply.

“Once that company gets in here, it will be very difficult to get them out,” said Mike Nagy of the Wellington Water Watchers group.

The site in question is the former Middlebrook Water Company property, just west of Elora.

Middlebrook was permitted to take 1.5 million litres of water per day, but never actually reached that level.

Last summer, Nestle applied to start testing the water on the site.

That application remains with the provincial government, and it’s not clear when a decision will be made.

That hasn’t stopped groups like Nagy’s from speaking up in opposition to the water giant’s plan.

“Every single drop that leaves that property will go around the world somewhere,” he said.

Andreanne Simard, Nestle’s manager of natural resources, says the company is also concerned about the long-term sustainability of the water supply – and that’s why they want to do the testing.

“I think the community’s concern is that there’s a lack of data. We’re trying to collect that data,” she said in an interview.

“We want the water to be here for future generations as much as the community does.”

Nestle already has a water bottling operation in Aberfoyle and a permit to take water from the Hillsburg area.