Chinese want to buy one of the largest Swiss drinking water sources

The Mühlackern drinking water source is one of the largest sources in Switzerland. Soon it will be sold abroad, as the “Blick” writes. The municipality of Turtmann-Unterems VS tells the newspaper that it is aware of various negotiations. Chinese investors are among them. The residents show themselves in the face of the impending drought not very enthusiastic about the project.

«In the summer we weren’t even allowed to wash our car because we had to save water. And now this source, which we could probably make good use of ourselves at some point, is to be sold abroad? That’s the horror, really bad, »says a resident to the «Blick». However, one man says he has no problem with Chinese. They already produce a lot for Europe and if a mineral water factory were built in Switzerland, that would also create new jobs. “It’s important to me that the employees have good working conditions,” he adds.

According to the «View» a source rights agreement was concluded with a local entrepreneur twelve years ago. This is valid for 99 years. Since then, the owner has been trying to sell the rights to the water – without success. According to the newspaper, he has planned a 30 million project. Among other things, a bottling plant for mineral water is to be built. The mineral water is then to be sold abroad with a Matterhorn motif, as the Swiss market is already sufficiently busy.

The source has not yet been sold. After the owner initially told Blick that Chinese investors were very interested in the project, he later backtracked and generalized a statement: It was just a merger of a wide variety of investors, including companies from abroad. An interested Valais investor who is said to have offered several million francs for the rights is out of the question. His offer is worse than that of foreign prospects.