Poland Spring delays Maine bottling plant

PORTLAND – Poland Spring announced Wednesday that it won’t make a decision this year on where it wants to build a new water bottling plant in Maine.

Poland Spring, which has plants in Poland and Hollis, previously said it wanted to decide in 2004 where to locate a third plant. It wanted to have the plant in operation in 2006.

Poland Spring had been in discussions with Fryeburg officials about locating the third plant in the town along the New Hampshire border. The company said it has also been exploring other sites in Franklin, Oxford and Somerset counties.

Tom Brennan, natural resource manager for Poland Spring Water, said it decided to delay a decision to relieve any pressure Fryeburg officials and townspeople may feel about a facility in their town. At a public meeting in January, many residents were concerned about a bottling plant’s impact on local water supplies.

“This is a complicated issue for Poland Spring and Fryeburg, and we don’t want to rush either party into a decision,” Brennan said.

Poland Spring, the top bottled spring water brand in the world, has operated a plant in Poland for decades and opened a plant in 2000 in Hollis. It has about 600 employees in Maine.