After 136 years, Maine Water Co. breaks ground on $50M treatment facility
Courtesy / Maine Water Co.
A new $50 million water treatment facility in Biddeford will replace one more than a century old.
Maine Water Co. broke ground in Biddeford Thursday on a $50 million water treatment plant to replace one that’s 136 years old.
The Saco River Drinking Water Treatment Facility will serve roughly 40,000 residents of Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Saco and Scarborough, and is expected to go live in the spring of 2022, according to a news release.
Construction of the facility is expected to generate 150 jobs, as well as seven permanent positions after completion. MWH Constructors is the contractor.
The facility will be located on South Street in Biddeford, across from Maine Water’s existing treatment facility, which was built in 1884. As part of the project, more than 250 acres of forest land will be preserved to provide the community with access to open space, to protect the Saco River source and to preserve wetland habitats.
The new location also allows Maine Water to move its drinking water facility out of the Saco River flood plain, eliminating the risk of disruptions from flooding, the release said.
Maine Water said the cost of the project will be paid through a customer rate change approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission. The increase for a typical residential customer will amount to about 1 cent per gallon, or slightly more than $1 per day, the company said.
Local officials and U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, celebrated the groundbreaking with a virtual ceremony that was posted to YouTube.
In the news release, Maine Water President Rick Knowlton said the new facility will be less expensive to own and operate over the next 50 years than the cost of renovating and running the current plant, which is one of the oldest in the country.
“The new Saco River Drinking Water Treatment Facility is not only a smart investment from a public health perspective, but from a financial perspective, and we are excited to play a part in continuing to improve this water system and deliver reliable local infrastructure.”
Maine Water is a public utility dating to 1880. It serves 32,000 customers including 80,000 residents in 21 communities throughout the state.
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