Jim Cohen and Sam Hamilton Present on Groundwater Rights in Maine

On June 26,  Verrill attorneys Jim Cohen and Sam Hamilton attended the annual meeting of the Southern Maine Regional Water Council and delivered a comprehensive presentation on groundwater rights in Maine entitled “Groundwater Rights in Maine: An Evolving Conversation.”

The presentation explored the unique hydrogeology that underpins Maine’s longstanding “absolute dominion” doctrine, compared regulatory approaches to groundwater across the country, and examined recent legislative developments and legal challenges in Maine regarding groundwater. Jim and Sam provided timely insights into Maine’s abundance of water, the collaborative approach taken to water usage across Maine state government; nearly 22 study commissions in Maine addressing groundwater supply over the past 45 years; and recent legislative activity related to groundwater supply and water extraction.

The annual meeting included senior managers and trustees from each of the seven water utilities comprising Maine’s first regional water council. The Council has been in existence for nearly twenty years following the adoption of legislation and bylaws that Jim helped draft in 2005.