BRADENTON – Mosaic, the world's largest phosphate mining company, is permitted to pump up to 70 million gallons of water each day out of Florida's ground water supply for the next 20 years.

Some of that water is being used to dilute polluted waste from its mining operations, only so that it can be dumped into creeks without violating state regulations.

Mosaic's permit allows the $24 billion company to pump water from more than 250 wells throughout Manatee, Hillsborough, Polk, Hardee and De Soto counties. Meanwhile, those areas have been under stringent water restrictions for 20 years. 

According to a Tampa Bay Times investigative report, Mosaic claims that half of the water it is collecting is used in mining operations, while the other half is used in factories. No one can say how much is used for dilution. 

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Editorial: Water: The Hidden Tax on Phosphate Mining