A group of consumers say in a class-action lawsuit they wouldn’t have paid a premium for Nestlé’s Poland Spring water had they been aware it allegedly doesn’t come from natural springs in Maine. The group of plaintiffs claim that Nestlé has been selling common bottled groundwater under the Poland Spring brand since 1993 and illegally mislabeling it “100% Natural Spring Water.” 
 
 Spring water, defined 
 
 The complaint alleges that “not one drop” of Poland Spring Water emanates from a water source that complies with the Food and Drug Administration’s definition of spring water. “While Poland Spring Water products are not frequently contaminated because defendant disinfects – and in some cases has purified – the groundwater it collects, Poland Spring Water labels are misleading under FDA rules because, in addition to falsely advertising that the bottles contain ‘100% Natural Spring Water’ purportedly sourced from natural springs, the labels depict pristine scenes of water flowing down a verdant hillside or a forest pond to convey an image of natural purity when, in fact, the vast bulk of the water is drawn from wells in low-lying populated areas near potential sources of contamination. “Such a spring would be plainly visible – more like a geyser than a spring – and undoubtedly well known,” plaintiffs’ attorney Craig Raabe says in the 325-page complaint. If consumers knew where defendant’s wells were actually located, rather than being misled by defendant’s falsely reassuring labels depicting pristine scenes, and knew the extent to which defendant treated or purified the water, they would not buy, or would not pay premium prices for, Poland Spring Water products.” 
 
 None of this appears to have damaged sales. “Because the Poland Spring is not a source of its products, defendant’s use of the ‘Poland Spring’ brand name is unlawful.” 
 
 The class claims Nestle has gone so far as to fake the existence of springs on its sites “by causing well water to flow artificially through pipes or plastic tubes into wetlands that contain no genuine springs.” 
 
 “Artificial man-made ‘springs’ do not satisfy FDA standards,” the complaint states. As a result, Poland Spring water doesn’t qualify as spring water, “and cannot be lawfully labeled or sold as ‘spring water,’ much less as ‘100% Natural Spring Water,'” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit is seeking class certification, an injunction, and at least $5 million in damages for false advertising, breach of contract, deceptive labeling, and consumer-law violations. Nestlé defends its water 
 
 In a statement to Consumerist, a spokesperson for Nestlé Waters North America says the claims made in the lawsuit are without merit and “an obvious attempt to manipulate the legal system for personal gain.” 
 
 “Poland Spring is 100% spring water,” the statement reads. “It meets the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations defining spring water, all state regulations governing spring classification for standards of identity, as well as all federal and state regulations governing spring water collection, good manufacturing practices, product quality, and labeling.
– Nestle's Poland Spring bottled water does come from Maine, but its state of origin isn't the issue being raised in a class-action lawsuit against the company. In what they call a "colossal fraud," 11 plaintiffs in eight states argue the "100% Natural Spring Water" is actually "ordinary groundwater" drawn from wells "in low-lying populated areas near potential sources of contamination," including a landfill and ash pile, per Courthouse News. The FDA classifies spring water as "derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth." But the lawsuit, seeking at least $5 million in damages, claims Nestle's wells are unconnected to a natural spring, which "has never been proven to exist," reports Consumerist. If such a spring did exist, it certainly wouldn't produce 1 billion gallons of Poland Spring water bottled each year, say the plaintiffs, who also accuse Nestle of faking springs "by causing well water to flow artificially through pipes or plastic tubes into wetlands." Consumers "would not buy, or would not pay premium prices for, Poland Spring Water products" if they knew the truth, reads the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Connecticut. According to its website, Poland Spring water is collected "before it emerges at the surface" as a spring. In a statement, Nestle adds "Poland Spring is 100% spring water" that meets FDA regulations. The Press Herald notes Nestle agree to $8 million in consumer discounts plus charitable donations in order to settle a similar suit in 2003. (This man decided to sue Kellogg's after realizing how much sugar is in its cereals.)