A federal judge in Connecticut this week declined to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a group of plaintiffs from several states against the parent company of Poland Spring for false labeling and deceptive marketing practices. The lawsuit maintains that “not one drop” of Poland Spring water actually comes from a natural spring.
Originally filed in 2017, the lawsuit argues that consumers are paying a premium for water that falsely claims to be “natural spring water” sourced in Maine. Poland Spring’s parent company at the time, Nestle Waters North America, sought to have the lawsuit dismissed on the grounds that it received permission to sell “spring water” from regulatory agencies in eight states, including Maine, and that it complies with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definition.
While rejecting some of the plaintiffs’ claims, the judge pointed to a former Syracuse University earth sciences professor’s findings that show the company extracted pond water and surface water from some of its bore holes and that some of its alleged springs are “man-made.” He said that raises a “genuine issue of fact” about whether the water sold is spring water.
In a written statement, Poland Spring’s new owner, Florida-based Primo Brands, said it remains confident in its position and looks forward to defending against the remaining claims.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
