PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 16, 2022
Despite the ongoing drought, the Poland Spring bottling company has asked for permission to double the amount of water it extracts from one of its wells in Hollis. Residents packed into a meeting of the Hollis Planning Board, many of them to register their objections to the bottling giant’s proposal to double its withdrawal from 30 million gallons of water a year to 60 million gallons. BlueTriton Brands, the owner of Poland Spring, has filed an application to modify its permit in order to increase the withdrawal to 60 million gallons a year. “Increasing the permitted volume of spring water withdrawal will not have any adverse impact on natural resources in the area, including groundwater, surface water, and wetland resources,” the company said. The state Department of Environmental Protection has signed off on the request.