Group working on review of groundwater regulations

AUGUSTA – With many of Maine’s lakes and rivers still swollen from weeks of rain, few state residents are likely losing sleep over thoughts of their wells running dry.

In fact, many Mainers are likely welcoming this weekend’s halt to the rain to dry soggy basements or simply venture outside without a slicker.

But on Friday, representatives of all the major players in Maine’s occasional turf battles over water rights – bottlers, farmers, conservationists, water utility operators, and state regulators – were once again assembled in Augusta to discuss the best way to avoid water shortages.

The work group is wrapping up a review of Maine’s groundwater regulations, with a heavy focus on the rules governing the largest water users. Legislators created the work group last year in response to concerns that water-intensive businesses – most notably water bottlers such as Poland Spring – could be drawing too much water from the ground.

The group’s end goal is to develop recommendations for ensuring those large users do not threaten the long-term sustainability of an aquifer or watershed, especially during dry years. The group has debated new permitting requirements as well as strengthening existing regulations.

Discussion at Friday’s meeting showed that the diverse group has not quite reached consensus.

One idea floated by group leader and state geologist Bob Marvinney was the creation of a “Groundwater Coordinating Council” within state government that would review all large water users for impact on the sustainability of a watershed.

The office would employ one full-time staffer with representatives from about a half-dozen state agencies serving on the council.

If the well posed no significant threat, it would be registered with no additional permit. If there is concern about an impact, the applicant would work with the council and involved state agencies to set withdrawal limits.

Many group members argued against a new regulatory body.

“The creation of another agency made up of five or six other state agencies doesn’t make a whole lot of sense,” said Al Hodsdon of A.E. Hodsdon Engineering.

Hodsdon and others said they would prefer to improve the coordination among state agencies and filling in any “little holes” that exist in the regulatory process.

Other group members said they liked the idea of a single person charged with receiving a permit application and coordinating the review process.

One member suggested that the state needs to do a better job communicating with localities and the public about existing regulatory steps. That could head off towns adopting their own water-withdrawal ordinances or avert tensions between town residents and businesses that use lots of water.

Jeff Austin, a representative from the Maine Municipal Association, said water is not generally a hot issue among Maine towns. But in those few municipalities grappling with water withdrawal concerns, it becomes a “major issue,” he said.

Several members said the state needs to improve its funding of the Maine Geological Survey. Others questioned whether the Legislature would fund a new state office.

“If the Legislature really wants to address groundwater in a meaningful way, it’s going to cost money,” Marvinney said.

The work group is expected to present its recommendations to the Land and Water Resources Council in the next several months.