Puc Approves Fryeburg Water Co. To Sell To Nestle

A long-term contract that allows the Fryeburg Water Co. to sell water to Nestle Waters – which bottles water in Maine under the Poland Spring label – was approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission Thursday morning. The two temporary PUC commissioners – appointed after the three regular members of the PUC, along with the commission’s public advocate, recused themselves – said the contract generally did not violate the “no harm” standard for such agreements. In fact, the two commissioners said the contract could benefit ratepayers of the privately owned utility by providing a steady stream of revenue from Nestle and because Nestle would pay a higher rate than household customers for the water. The temporary commissioners – retired judges Paul Rudman and John Atwood – agreed to strike one provision of the contract that would have barred the water company from selling bulk, untreated water to companies other than Nestle Waters.