18 August, 2017
The lawsuit was filed in a CT federal court on Tuesday and accuses Nestle Waters North America Inc. of a "colossal fraud perpetrated against American consumers".
"Poland Spring is 100% spring water".
The water does not come from springs at all, but from "ordinary groundwater" from wells, the suit argues.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations require that all bottled spring water must be collected either at the source of a naturally occurring spring or from a well that draws from a natural spring.
The plaintiffs in the case argue the company has consistently misled consumers by labeling Poland Spring water as "100% spring water", which suggests high quality and a corresponding premium, according to the 325-page lawsuit filed in the United States District Court in CT.
The rights to the ME spring's water were bought up by Perrier in 1980, and transferred to Nestle when it bought out Perrier in 1992. "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".
But the 325-page lawsuit, which was filed by lawyers from four firms, claims that none of the company's ME water sources meets the federal definition for spring water and that the company has "politically compromised" state regulators.
It also says that 'The "spring" Defendant now claims exists in Poland Spring is at the bottom of a lake.
In a statement, Nestle Waters, based on Stamford, Conn., said the suit has no merit, and further branded it an attempt to "manipulate the the legal system for personal gain".
This is not the first time that Nestle Waters has faced such allegations.
The Maine Drinking Water Program did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Poland Spring Water is a "a colossal fraud perpetrated against American consumers" by parent company Nestle, according to a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
The plaintiffs are seeking class certification, an injunction, and at least $5 million in damages for false advertising, breach of contract, deceptive labeling, and consumer-law violations.
The lawyers who filed the suit did not respond to requests for comment.
