]PORTLAND (AP) – A trade group filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to block a Maine law that would require manufacturers of bottled water to identify the water’s source on their labels.

The Grocery Manufacturers of America contends that the law, which is set to take effect on Sept. 12, violates both the U.S. Constitution and federal laws.

The trade association represents hundreds of brands including bottled water makers such as Evian, Perrier, Dannon, Aquafina, Dasani and Nestle, which owns Maine-based Poland Spring, said Stephanie Childs, the group’s spokeswoman.

She said the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, is aimed at protecting both consumers and bottlers who might have to design separate labels for Maine or abandon the market.

“The GMA is a supporter of national uniformity of labeling standards,” she said. “We want to make sure a consumer, whether in Maine, Kansas or Colorado, gets the same information.”

The lawsuit asserts that a federal law bars states from setting their own standards for identifying the types of bottled water, and subsequent rules set out the requirements for using such descriptions as “spring water” or “purified water.”

The Maine law requires that bottled water labels “identify the name and geographic location of the water body, well or public water supply from which the water was obtained.”

The lawsuit says one manufacturer entered the bottled water business relying on a 1995 Food and Drug Administration rule that water drawn from a municipal water system can be labeled “purified.”

“The new Maine labeling requirements would force manufacturers and distributors of purified water to include wording that conflicts with the valid perceptions of their consumers that purified water differs significantly from tap water and is likely to cause both lost goodwill and sales,” the lawsuit states.

Childs said the trade group isn’t aware of any other state labeling laws similar to Maine’s.

Chuck Dow, a spokesman for the Maine Attorney General’s office, said the state was aware of the lawsuit but had no comment.