Millions of dollars in funding from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan is being set aside for wastewater projects across the state.
During a visit to Rumford on Monday, Gov. Janet Mills announced that she’s awarding $22 million to twenty wastewater treatment facilities serving 27 communities.
The following water districts will receive the funding:
• Anson-Madison Sanitary District- $2.278 million
• Biddeford – $1 million
• Greater Augusta Utility District (2 awards) – $2 million
• Calais – $2 million
• Ellsworth – $2 million
• Eagle Lake Water & Sewer District – $1 million
• Hartland – $1 million
• Houlton Water Company – $1 million
• Livermore Falls – $1 million
• Loring Development Authority – $167,950
• Mapleton Sewer District – $917,235
• Millinocket – $800,000
• Old Town – $733,020
• Pittsfield – $498,210
• Rockport – $1 million
• Rumford-Mexico Sewerage District – $1 million
• Stonington Sanitary District (2 awards) – $403,510
• Van Buren – $463,509
• Machias – $893,589
• Winterport Water District – $553,746
“These new grants will help water and sewer districts across the state speed up maintenance projects for the next four years, creating jobs, cutting costs, and preserving service for the communities that rely on them,” said Gov. Mills.
Governor Mills announced the one-time grants, administered by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, at the Rumford Town Hall. The Rumford-Mexico Sewerage District was awarded a $1 million grant to make significant improvements to its wastewater treatment facility. Upgrades to the facility will preserve service to the communities of Rumford, Mexico, and Dixfield, while also reducing discharges into the Androscoggin River.
“Maintaining the high quality of Maine’s water is essential to the “Maine brand”, our quality of life, a healthy environment, and a strong economy,” said Melanie Loyzim, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. “The funding of these clean water projects through the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan will ensure Maine will continue to be known for having some of the best water quality
in the country.”
In total, the grants will support 22 wastewater projects around Maine over the next four years, including projects that repair and replace wastewater infrastructure to improve operations, reliability, resiliency to climate effects, environmental impacts, and economic development.
These funds are in addition to $20 million in grant funding to 13 communities across Maine. Governor Mills announced last week to make investments in local infrastructure projects, including wastewater infrastructure,
to improve their resilience to effects of climate change, such as flooding, rising sea levels, and more extreme storms.
