Denmark technical adviser: Poland Springs cut pumping to avoid breaching permit alert levels during historic drought

Rick, the town’s technical agent and hydrogeologist from Crater Associates, told the Denmark Select Board on June 18 that Poland Springs voluntarily reduced production during a historic drought to keep monitoring wells above permit alert and action thresholds.

“The idea of today is an update… you’re going to hear a lot tonight about terms called alert and action levels,” Rick said, explaining that an alert level signals “it’s time to think about doing something” and an action level requires more formal corrective steps. He said the town’s new water‑extraction ordinance and the permit review process now require surveyed elevations for all monitored wells and stricter notification and monitoring when thresholds are approached.

Why it matters: The presentation framed three linked issues for Denmark residents — the condition of the Cold Springs aquifer Poland Springs pumps from, the effect of an unusually severe drought on aquifer and pond levels, and whether the company’s pumping has contributed to shoreline loss at Long Pond. Rick said the drought that began in May 2025 reached “extreme” on the Palmer Drought Severity Index in winter — a level he described as “historic” in the local record — and that monitoring well MW3 briefly reached the permit’s alert level in early March before levels recovered following spring recharge.

Rick urged caution in attributing Long Pond decline solely to pumping, noting data gaps. To address those gaps the town’s new permit requirements call for quarterly groundwater flow maps, twice‑yearly flow‑netting, surveys of all monitoring points, and the potential for multilevel monitoring wells to resolve how groundwater moves under and near Long Pond. He described the process the town will use if action thresholds are exceeded: increased (weekly) monitoring, development of a corrective action plan if averages remain below the threshold after the monitoring period, and a required shutdown of pumping while the plan is reviewed.

Residents asked for clearer and timelier public data. Multiple commenters said recent report postings were delayed and requested real‑time or faster publication of monitoring results. Rick said the town can require more rapid reporting on a circumstance basis and that the permit gives the town authority to request real‑time feeds for particular measurements if warranted.

Cullen Ryan, who lives on Long Pond, described sharp shoreline loss. “My water on May 30th was 51 inches below where it was last spring,” he said, asking the board to add nearby wells to the monitoring network. Rick agreed the town can request additional monitoring and survey private wells for inclusion if they provide useful, comparable data.

On the question of whether Poland Springs actually cut pumping during the drought, a resident noted a perceived mismatch between public statements and the annual extraction total; Rick deferred operational questions to Poland Springs’ hydrogeologist and reminded the audience that Poland Springs’ own representative and technical team will present the company’s permit summary to the board on June 30. The town will assess the application for completeness in mid‑July and, if complete, hold a first public hearing (tentatively Aug. 11) where residents can ask further questions.

What’s next: the company will present on June 30; the board will decide completeness in mid‑July; public hearings will follow. The town’s technical team said it will push for additional survey and monitoring work if the permit package fails to address the Long Pond connection. The ordinance also preserves remedies for residents who can demonstrate adverse effects attributable to pumping; in that case the permit/ordinance provides processes (including corrective actions and potential compensation steps) described by town staff and the technical adviser.

The Select Board meeting recorded a common refrain from residents: better, timelier data and more monitoring where private wells and shorelines are changing. Officials said those changes are the focus of permit review and the town’s ability to require more granular monitoring is one of the main outcomes of the new ordinance.