It is still summer in Maine. Residents and vacationers flock to Maine’s streams, rivers and lakes.

We have been lucky for the past several years to have an abundance of rain and snow to sustain Maine’s aquifers. One does not have to look too far to see the devastating effects of lack of rain and aquifer depletion in the western U.S. and countries worldwide where people lack clean water.

Yet Maine, as well as many other states, continues to allow water companies like Nestle/Poland Spring to continue to pump water out of our aquifers, bottle it and sell it to the world.

This depletes one of Maine’s most valuable resources – one that is owned by all Mainers, not just a few. Water is an important reason people visit Maine and its beautiful lakes and streams.

Water companies like Nestle (which is a Swiss-owned business, not an American one) not only withdraw our water, but also send their large tanker trucks down routes 302 and 26 every 20 minutes, pounding roads that were not designed for commercial traffic. Look for the green-colored trucks and gleaming silver tankers.

Politicians will try to convince you it is all about jobs. Well, they are right – it is. However, consider the tourist jobs that would be lost if the lakes and streams are diminished.

Nestle/Poland Spring and their many other bottled-water brands try, most times successfully, to roll out scientific data to show that depletion of the aquifers will not happen. This is pseudo-science.

Some small towns have attempted, unsuccessfully, to stand up to Nestle. Wake up, Mainers! Water is your most valuable resource. If the politicians are going to allow it to be given away, at least get some tax dollars out of it to benefit all Mainers.

Michael Schobinger

Norway