MAINE MONITOR • June 22, 2024
After years of work, Denmark is on the cusp of major changes to its ordinance that would curtail large-scale water extraction in the town — an industry largely occupied by the bottled water behemoth Poland Spring. The changes, which will be presented at a June 26 town forum, would block future Denmark officials from loosening restrictions on water sources and require more rigorous monitoring from extraction entities on the sources they draw from. They also acknowledge the influence of climate change on drought and groundwater reserves as a reason for protecting local water through regulation. Denmark, an Oxford County town about 41 miles northwest of Portland, has been a Maine leader in local water extraction regulations, establishing its landmark ordinance in 2005.