Swiss company to bottle Paris water for high-end hotels
A Swiss company has received permission from the Paris prefecture to bottle and market water from underground reservoirs beneath the city. Aiming to cater to Parisian hotels and palaces looking to reduce plastic use and support local consumption, the company is focused on sustainability.
Based in Lausanne, the company filters the city’s water and bottles it in glass in a 300m² warehouse in the 18th arrondissement. Already operating in other countries and in Nice, they have invested 1 million euros in the Paris facility.
The water comes from the same underground sources as the city's tap water, but Jonathan McNicol, managing director of BE WTR France, says this water is more filtered.
"On our small scale, because there are far fewer litres, we can have filters that can have a longer contact time and we can remove PFAS, the few pesticide residues if there are any," he told FranceInfo.
BE WTR’s filtration system was first approved by the Agence régionale de santé (ARS) before gaining full authorisation in July.
“The idea is to innovate in water, to bring a silky-smooth taste, to ensure that we are local,” said Mike Heicker, founder and chairman of BE WTR.
Local opposition
However, not everyone is convinced. Mélisande Seyzériat, coordinator of Zero Waste Paris, believes there’s a simpler solution.
(with newswires)
Read more on RFI English
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