Nestle Waters NA is withdrawing its contentious application to extract water from a property in Eldred Township.

As the supervisors opened the floor to public comments Wednesday, Eric Andreus, regional natural resource manager for Nestle, stood and read a prepared statement, leaving both supervisors and residents of Kunkletown stunned."So, for all of these reasons and others, and in mutual agreement with the landowner, Nestle Waters is withdrawing its pending zoning permit application."Cheers erupted from the crowd of about 50 residents. Shouts of congratulations and looks of disbelief filled the room. Resident after resident stood to offer their praise for the job done by the residents, the supervisors and the planning commission.Chairwoman Mary Anne Clausen had to allow some time for the giddiness of the room to play out before proceeding with the meeting.In his statement, Andreus thanked the residents of Kunkletown for the open dialogue that was shared in the past year. The statement describes the application as "robust" and proof that the water withdrawals could be "done in an environmentally sustainable manner."He read, "But we recognize that sound science and resource sustainability are only part of the equation when we select a location for a potential spring water facility. A multitude of factors go into any business decision we make."We also consider long-term source water quality, as well as community sentiment and our partnership with the source owner. Logistics and site development also play a role."Although the project was designed to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements, the proposal involved certain aspects that were less than ideal for Nestle Waters' standards - including the need to accommodate multiple uses on a single property, which created logistical and design challenges," Andreus said.The application before the zoning hearing board was to permit Nestle to withdraw 200,000 gallons of water from the Chestnut Spring daily. That water was to be loaded into tanker trucks and trucked to the company's bottling plant in Breinigsville. The loading facility was to operate from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.Residents mounted a campaign to fight back, starting The Concerned Citizens of Eldred Township Facebook page and going door-to-door to plead their cause.Fundraisers and yard signs became commonplace. And a handful of residents even brought a lawsuit against the township, claiming that the zoning ordinance had been changed illegally to permit the withdrawal to take place on property not permitted under the previous zoning rule.Every month the township building was filled to overflowing and the zoning hearing board meetings were held at the local firehouse so that everyone who was interested could attend.Kunkletown, with its population of less than 3,000, and the fight against Nestle, was recently the subject of a news piece on Al-Jazeera's U.S. network.One of the organizers is Donna Deihl, whose property borders the lot leased by Nestle. One of the two extraction wells sits behind her home on Kunkletown Road."This is surreal," she said Wednesday night. "I keep pinching myself. It takes a village and this village did it. We beat a trillion-dollar company. Kunkletown is on the map."Vernon Barlieb, a lifelong resident of Eldred Township, was the one who first questioned Nestle's presence in town. His constant questioning led to uncovering a modified zoning ordinance that spurred hearings and court battles."I'm glad that this is over," Barlieb said. "I am happy for the township that they will not be burdened with this into the future. This was not good for this community. It is not good for any community."