In the wake of public complaints, the Lincoln Water District has been ordered to hold a public meeting on a long-term contract with Poland Spring.
Maine Public Utilities Commissioners agreed Monday that while the district is not legally required to hold a public discussion of the contract, the commission will now require a hearing on the matter.
Philip Bartlett is the chair of the commission.
"While the public meeting may not be technically required, it is unclear to me why the district is so resistant to holding one," he said.
Commissioner Patrick Scully says that he was disappointed that the water district hadn't held a public meeting earlier.
"This is an agreement of some significance for the district and it's customers and I think a public hearing is an appropriate and necessary opportunity for the district to advise its customers of what its doing and to obtain input," Scully said.
The proposed contract would allow Poland Spring to withdraw up to 175 million gallons of water a year. It would run for 20 years, but outlined renewals could stretch that to 45 years.
The announcement comes two weeks after California regulators ordered Poland Springs' parent company, BlueTriton, to stop using some natural springs. Officials found that the company did not have permission to use the springs it has relied on for decades.
