Yesterdays news of Canadian water bottler BlueTriton closing down operations by end of January 2025 (see Blue News here) makes headlines again. Guelph Today reports that the Aberfoyle factory might close. The company says it has initiated a public sale of the former Nestle Waters plant but has not revealed the impact on workers
Prior to being owned by BlueTriton, the Aberfoyle water-bottling operation was owned by Nestlé Waters Canada as well as a well in Erin and one in Centre Wellington known as the Middlebrook well.
In 2021, the company sold these as part of a deal that saw its regional spring water brands, purified water business and beverage delivery service in the United States and Canada sold for $4.3 billion to One Rock Capital Partners in partnership with Metropolous & Co. Later the name was changed to BlueTriton Brands.
BlueTriton and Nestlé’s presence in Wellington County hasn’t been without controversy. Advocacy groups such as the Wellington Water Watchers have called on the province for years to revoke the provincial water taking permit at the site, calling it unethical to profit off extracting and bottling water.
BlueTriton and Nestlé had permits to take up to 3.6 million litres of water a day for bottling in Aberfoyle.
