Nestlé also withdraws 265 million litres every year in Hope, BC. The BC government kicked off a firestorm of opposition when it released new water rates that would have Nestlé paying only $2.25 per million litres starting in January when the new Water Sustainability Act comes into force. What’s worse is the act uses the ‘first in time first in right’ (FITFIR) system which prioritizes water permits by the date they are issued. In other words, if fracking, mining or bottled water companies like Nestlé get earlier permits than municipalities, small scale farmers or other community water users, we could see a scenario where the former permits are honored while the latter water users are told they can’t draw water.