Class-action suit questions whether Poland Spring is what it says it is

Is Poland Spring water really “natural spring water” from Poland Spring, Maine ”“ or is it simply common groundwater? That”™s the basis of a class-action lawsuit filed in Connecticut federal court against Stamford-based Nestlé Waters North America, which bottles Poland Spring.

Despite claims that it draws its water from “eight natural springs” in the Maine area, the suit states, “Poland Spring Water products all contain ordinary groundwater that Defendant collects from wells it drilled in saturated plains or valleys where the water table is within a few feet of the earth’s surface.”

The suit also maintains that no evidence exists that the eight springs still exist ”“ or that six of them ever existed.

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages for numerous violations, including breach of contract and fraud.

“Poland Spring is 100 percent spring water,” according to Nestlé. “It meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations defining spring water, all state regulations governing spring classification for standards of identity, as well as all federal and state regulations governing spring water collection, good manufacturing practices, product quality and labeling. We remain highly confident in our legal position.”