Maine Wastewater Control Association 
60 Community Drive, Augusta, ME 04330  

Site Map for Navigating the MWWCA Web Site 

Still no drinking water in Boston
Pipe is fixed but boil water order still in place

Boston - The region's drinking water supply could be back to normal in a day or two under a "best-case scenario" outlined by state officials on Monday, leaving in place the order to boil water after a ruptured pipe disrupted the flow of clean water to about 2 million people.


Recession is sending water bills up for many
Less usage as businesses go under and tourist economy slows down

The grim economy is hitting some consumers in the wallet in yet another way: their water bills.

Many water utilities are raising rates because water use is down, in part because manufacturers have closed or are cutting back, tourism has fallen and the real estate market is in the doldrums.

Norway gets $1.1 million for sewer line replacement

The town has received $1.1 million in federal stimulus money to replace miles of century-old sewer pipes.

The announcement of the $1,105,000 grant and a $385,000 loan to improve sewer system efficiency was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday afternoon.

Asked how the town got such a large award, Sewer Superintendent Shawn Brown said, "You've got me. I don't know. I guess we're just lucky."
 

Maine communities to get more than $1M in stimulus grants for water Projects

Three Maine communities will receive more than $1 million in grants and loans for water treatment improvement projects.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says stimulus money will be used in 20 states to improve water quality and public sanitation services.


USDA state director: Recovery Act Aids County

While there are critics who say President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been too costly and has not delivered on the promise of job creation, Virginia Manuel is not one of them.

Manuel, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development state director, said Thursday the $787 billion Recovery Act has “definitely” helped the state, including assisting with the financing of significant projects in Aroostook County.
 

Flushable Moist Wipes
Flushable wipes may not live up to their name

Flushable moist wipes are marketed as a supplement to ordinary toilet paper. "For a cleaner clean," Charmin Freshmates (*Est. $3 for 40 wipes) advertises. Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes (*Est. $2 for 42 wipes) claim to offer "that shower-fresh, clean in-between feeling."


Poor economy on minds of Eliot selectman in sewer decisions

Hard financial times weighed heavily on the minds of selectmen at Thursday's meeting as they struggled with tough decisions on financing the town's proposed sewer expansion.


Hike in Exeter's water, sewer rates mulled

Ratepayers may see an increase in water and sewer rates this year in order to help pay for much-needed water and sewer improvements.


Pittsfield pursues sewer on its own

The town will move forward with a $1.9 million sewer system project despite the fact it doesn't qualify for help from the Maine Clean Water Program.

Seabrook bids costly farewell to sludge treatment firm
What started out as a way to reduce the town's sludge disposal costs while taking part in technology that could revolutionize treatment of waste solids on the municipal level has ended in acrimony and costly legal bills and settlement costs.
 

News Release
From the Maine Department of Environmental Protection
Pharmaceutical Drugs Found in Landfill Water

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection received the results of tests conducted on leachate from three landfills in Maine – Augusta, Brunswick and Bath. More.......
 

$2.5M awarded to Mars Hill Utility District

A substantial grant and loan package is going to assist the Mars Hill Utility District in providing access to quality water and wastewater systems.

The utility district recently received more than $2.5 million in grant and loan funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Kittery sewer boss to retire after 35 years

When Steve Tapley retires in early 2010, he'll be leaving behind 36 years of work on behalf of Kittery.

A longtime employee of the town, Tapley's tenure with the Sewer Department will end officially Feb. 1, when he retires from a career that began as a maintenance worker with the department and ended with him spending nearly 14 years as its superintendent. When asked why he was retiring after more than three decades spent with the Sewer Department, Tapley said the old saying used by so many retirees was true.


Shrimp parts a problem for Portland Water District

All of that shrimp caught off the Maine coast this winter is causing concern for operators of the Portland Water District.

74-Year-Old Jailed Over Sewer Bill Gets Credit

A 74-year-old Charleroi woman who spent a night in jail over overdue fees from late sewer bills was in court on Thursday.


Selectmen approve sewer rate calculation change

The board of selectmen unanimously supported changing the way the town calculates residents’ sewer rates at Monday’s meeting, looking to provide a more equitable method of sharing costs.

Selectmen, presented with the recommendations of a sewer committee made up of residents, selectmen and town officials both on and off the town’s sewer system, agreed to switch the method of fee calculation from a per unit system to one based on water usage. The committee were aided through a report created by Wright-Pierce Engineers’ Vic Krea, who had been hired by the town to study the billing system and make recommendations.

York clam flats open early

After a lost season last winter, York's clam flats will open Jan. 3, considerably ahead of other recreational flats in York County, thanks to efforts by its state legislator, town officials and volunteers.

Price high, time tight for Portsmouth wastewater solution

The clock is ticking and the city has found itself under the gun to come into compliance with state and federal wastewater treatment standards by June or else.
 

Eliot residents hear sewer plans

.Town will vote Jan. 9 on whether to spend $220K ELIOT, Maine — Of the 35 Eliot residents attending Thursday evening's public hearing at Town Hall, some raised concerns but none questioned the value of spending $220,000 in tax increment financing (TIF)...


Gardiner plans to borrow $500,000 for sewer work

The city needs to borrow nearly $500,000 to fix 1,900 feet of sewer and water lines on Harrison Avenue and to upgrade the South Gardiner sewer pump station. The projects will cost about $1 million.

Interim city manager Anne Davis said Gardiner received grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and the Community Development Block Grant program to cover the rest.
 

Sewer customers face potential fee

Waterville Sewerage District Customers who have perimeter drains, yard drains or sump pumps connected to the sanitary sewer will have to pay $20 per quarter unless they get a waiver from the district.

 

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