MAINE MONITOR • July 29, 2023
For most of human history, the proximity of freshwater has dictated where humans have settled and thrived, while too much of it or too little has led to the collapse of numerous civilizations throughout the world. In Maine, our problem often seems to be too much water (this summer’s damp June being a fresh example) rather than too little. But as the Northeast becomes wetter and warmer with a changing climate, there may be increasing periods of imbalance, and shifts in the time of year when the water table is highest. A bill that would have dramatically changed groundwater regulation and given municipalities more control over contracts with bottled water companies will be carried over to next session and looks likely to be watered down.