The lawsuit, filed this month in Connecticut, alleges that instead of spring water, parent company Nestle Water North America has been selling billions of gallons of groundwater to its customers.
“Not one drop of Poland Spring Water emanates from a water source that complies with the Food and Drug Administration definition of ‘spring water,'” the lawsuit states.
And, it goes on: “the famous Poland Spring in Poland Spring, Maine, which defendant’s labels claim is a source of Poland Spring Water, ran dry nearly 50 years ago.”
According to the Food and Drug Administration, spring water must come from an underground source and flow naturally to the earth’s surface. But spring water doesn’t have to be literally collected at the spring — it can also be pumped out from a hole in the ground. A spokeswoman for Nestlé Waters North America said its water meets all federal and state guidelines for spring water.
“Poland Spring is 100 percent spring water,” the spokeswoman said in an email. “The claims made in the lawsuit are without merit and an obvious attempt to manipulate the legal system for personal gain.”
