PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (AP) – The president of a springwater company said Wednesday that town officials thwarted his efforts to send a tanker full of water to help victims of Hurricane Katrina last weekend.

Town officials, however, say they acted as quickly as they could to expedite the water pickup.

Laurence Foy, president of Highland Springs Inc., said he offered water to a nonprofit seeking donations of drinking water. The nonprofit said it could have a tanker in Peterborough by Saturday.

Zoning rules do not let the company load tankers on weekends, and Foy said he was denied an exception when he asked on Thursday. Based on that, Foy said he canceled the tanker.

Friday morning, town officials called Foy and said they could make an exception if they had a written request. He said it was too late.

Town Administrator Pamela Brenner said her staff tried to respond quickly “because of the dire situation,” but Foy gave them no time.

Foy said he will drive a truckload of the company’s springwater bottles down south this weekend.