TFTT Report
Maine Water Co. President Clarifies its Decades of Service to Maine’s Communities
In a letter to the editor of the Portland Press-Herald, Maine Water Company President Rick Knowlton responded to an op-ed that inaccurately portrays the private water story. He explains the benefits the company provides to 80,000 Maine residents across 25 municipalities, noting the company’s years of success, expertise of its workforce, and the financial investments it has made for infrastructure improvement.
Read the full letter below.
Letter to the editor: Writer exaggerates threat to Maine’s well-managed water supply
Citing climate change and global violence, a recent op-ed author (Maine Voices, July 13) argued water is a “political tool” and that “in Maine, multinational corporations and private equity firms are seizing water sources at an alarming rate.” Colorful, but not accurate.
Maine people own our water resources. Nobody can seize them. Property owners can use the water resources on and under their land, but they must obey strict regulations overseen by state agencies, municipal government and others. Mainers know the importance of our water resources, and we can celebrate decades of positive experiences in managing them.
I serve as president of Maine Water Co. We provide public water utility service to 80,000 Mainers in 25 municipalities. I have the privilege to lead a dedicated team of professionals, all Maine people who take enormous pride in their work. As a private company, we have 90 years of success attracting capital to build and maintain critical infrastructure to provide safe and reliable drinking water to the communities we serve. We combine financial strength with technical resources to deliver on our mission to serve Maine.
Unfortunately, water is a political tool in some parts of the world. Not here. Twenty-five trillion gallons of fresh water falls on our state every year, and water professionals work 24/7 to make sure Maine people are served and the environment protected.
The author appears ignorant of the highly trained water professionals and our diligent regulators, every one of them Maine residents, who serve our state. The alarm intended is unwarranted and unnecessary.
Rick Knowlton
president, Maine Water Co.
Saco