In a victory for the Polish Spring, Maine rejects new groundwater limits
The Maine Legislature has rejected a bill that would have restricted widespread groundwater pumping in the state. Poland Spring, the bottled water giant, had lobbied aggressively against the measure.
The proposal would have placed a 10-year limit on large-scale water extraction contracts, a restriction that the bill's supporters say would protect Maine's precious groundwater at a time when water levels are declining across the country. It failed to pass in the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 21 to 12.
Poland Spring, a major presence in Maine, sources water from eight locations in the state to bottle and sell. It is trying to win a new contract of up to 45 years to pump water in Lincoln, a former mill town.
BlueTriton – owner of Poland Spring and other major bottled water brands including Arrowhead and Deer Park – lobbied against the changes. Last year, The New York Times reported that the company had written and distributed to lawmakers an amendment that would have killed the bill.
BlueTriton is financially backed by private equity funds One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co., which paid $4.3 billion in 2021 to buy Nestlé's North American bottled water business.
The bill eventually reached the full legislature, where BlueTriton continued its lobbying work. For example, a flyer distributed to lawmakers by a Poland Spring lobbyist noted that the state public defender's office had said it was encouraging local water utilities “to enter into agreements to sell water when cost-effective to do so.” However, William S. Harwood, Maine's public advocate, said in an email interview that he supported the 10-year limit. An earlier version of the bill called for a seven-year limit.
In response to questions, BlueTriton said it stood behind the statements in the circular, calling it a “fact-based explanatory document.” The company also said it has “a dedicated team of geologists, hydrogeologists and engineers who work closely with national and local water agencies and environmental organizations to protect and conserve water as a renewable resource.”
The bill was defeated in the Maine State House and Senate, with Republicans, along with several Democrats, voting against it. Margaret M. O'Neil, a Democrat from Saco, Southern Maine, who sponsored the bill, said: “Mainers don't want the Polish Spring to lock our communities into bad deals, especially bad deals that will last decades.” to last.”
Mark Lawrence, a Democrat who headed the committee that considered the bill and voted against it in the Senate, and Trey Stewart, the Republican Senate minority leader who also voted against it, did not respond to requests for comment.