Watersheds We Help Protect

DEFINITION OF A SPRING
A spring is the location where groundwater (water that exists beneath the earth’s surface) flows upward through natural forces to emerge at the ground surface. BlueTriton withdraws water from two boreholes located at Spruce Spring, intercepting a portion of the spring water that would otherwise naturally emerge from the ground. Spring water occurs along the aquifer segment where Spruce Spring is located. The spring water here eventually flows into the Dead River, which outlets from Flagstaff Lake and flows to the north.

WATER WITHDRAWALS AND SUSTAINABILITY
The Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LUPC) regulates spring water withdrawal at Spruce Spring through the issuance of permits. In addition to requiring extensive scientific investigations of the site, LUPC established a series of conditions in connection with issuing a water extraction permit. These performance standards protect the aquifer and other natural resources to help ensure long term sustainability.

Hydrologic analyses were used by regulators to establish a maximum allowable extraction volume from the Spruce Spring sources of 80 million gallons (MG) of water in any given 365 day period. It is important to note that this amount represents on average only 6% of the average annual precipitation falling in the watershed. Since water withdrawals began in July 2005 at Spruce Spring, the average utilization has been approximately 1% of the average annual precipitation falling in the watershed. In 2023, the annual withdrawal was less than two million gallons or less than 0.1% of the average annual precipitation.1

SITE MONITORING

Water Supply
Independent scientists contracted by BlueTriton regularly and thoroughly monitor the groundwater system, springs, wetlands and surface water bodies located in and around the Spruce Spring aquifer. BlueTriton continuously monitors extraction rates at the spring water boreholes and monitors stream flow, stream levels and temperature along Cold Brook. These considerable monitoring efforts ensure that BlueTriton’s operations do not adversely affect the groundwater, surface water, or the natural environment within the valley. These independent scientists submit annual reports to the LUPC to demonstrate compliance with BlueTriton’s permit.

Wetland Health
BlueTriton also assesses the health of nearby wetlands through wetland water level monitoring. The independent scientists who conduct these assessments submit the monitoring data via annual monitoring reports. These reports show that there have been no adverse effects on wetlands. The annual reports are available to the public for review.

RECENT MONITORING RESULTS
The graphs below summarize important measures of the health of the natural groundwater and surface water systems. The graph in Figure 2 depicts water levels observed in the Spruce Spring aquifer dating back more than 18 years. The water levels in the aquifer naturally fluctuate by a few feet, depending on the season. Spring snow melt and fall rains typically increase recharge resulting in rising groundwater levels in the aquifer, while growth and uptake of water by plants in the summer usually decreases aquifer water levels, as does the lack of recharge during winter months when the ground is frozen. In Figure 2, water level trends observed at the site are representative of normal seasonal variation that is expected during the year in response to changes in precipitation and temperature. During 2023, the Spruce Spring area experienced a significantly higher-than-normal amount of precipitation, totaling more than 8 inches above the long-term normal annual precipitation. The monitoring data in 2023 show groundwater levels rising in the spring as expected with snow melt and aquifer recharge but remaining elevated through the summer months and well into the fall in response to continued high amounts of rainfall. Groundwater levels returned to the normal range in November, but rose again in December due to the high rainfall.

Over many years of water level monitoring at Spruce Spring, the data show that BlueTriton’s activities have not resulted in adverse impacts to the natural hydrologic conditions in the aquifer.

Surface water bodies respond similarly to the natural hydrologic cycles, as shown in Figure 3. Melting snow and spring rains lead to increased surface water flows as seen in April of 2007 and 2008. Hotter, drier summer weather, combined with the uptake of moisture by plants, reduces available surface water flows. Throughout 2023, the site experienced increasing stream flows in response to continued precipitation at higher-than-normal levels. Despite the fluctuating seasonal trends in water levels and stream flow, BlueTriton has complied with its permit conditions since spring water withdrawal for bottling began at Spruce Spring in 2005.