Fire Damages NH Water Bottling Building

NOTTINGHAM, N.H. (AP) -- A fire early Thursday severely damaged a building owned by a water company that has been battling the town and area residents over a planned bottling plant.

Fire Chief Gary Chase said it was premature to label the fire at the USA Springs building arson, but he acknowledged investigators were leaning in that direction. He said it could be several days before the cause was determined.

The only injury in the fire was a firefighter's sprained ankle.

A citizens group has been protesting the company's bottling plant plans for months, saying its water withdrawals would endanger the area's water supply. USA Springs plans to withdraw up to 439,000 gallons daily at its 78-acre site in southeast New Hampshire.

The town fought USA Springs in court, but last month, a judge cleared the way for the company to begin pumping tests, ruling that the state has sole legal authority over groundwater withdrawals.

The tests are to see if there would be any effect on nearby wells. Once the testing is complete, the data will be analyzed and submitted to the state as part of the company's final application for a permit.

Nottingham is 30 miles east of Concord.