Photo / Courtesy USDA
Much of the work was at the plant and at pumping stations around town.
Updated: July 29, 2024
Camden completes $15M wastewater treatment facility improvements
Photo / Courtesy Town of Camden
The Camden Water Pollution Control Plant at 20 Lions Lane.
The town of Camden has completed a $15 million project to improve its wastewater treatment facility at 20 Lions Lane.
Much of the work was at the plant and at pumping stations around town.
The project also involved removal of a main that formerly conveyed sewage under Camden Harbor.
It’s expected that residents will benefit from a safer and more efficient system that is more resilient to extreme weather.
The town hosted an open house at the plant on July 24. Participants included U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Chief Operating Officer Roger Glendenning, Town Manager Audra Caler-Bell; David St. Laurent, wastewater superintendent; Sheldon Main, facility director; Jennifer Seavey, chief programs officer of the Island Institute; representatives of the offices of U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, and of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District; and representatives of area conservation nonprofits.
USDA Rural Development funded the project with a grant of $1.4 million and a loan of $12.5 million awarded in 2019.
Residents, businesses and travelers on Main Street, Atlantic Avenue, Commercial Street, Sea Street and other local roads were affected by the project at various times over the three years of seasonal work.
Photo / Courtesy USDA
The work began in 2021 and included extensive upgrades.
The work began in 2021 and included extensive upgrades at the Camden Wastewater Treatment Facility on Lions Lane and upgrades to the Washington Street and Cove Road pumping stations, with work at the Bayview pumping station as well.
Formerly a pipe under Camden Harbor conveyed sewage from a pumping station to the treatment plant. That sewer main was relocated to pass under town streets instead of under the harbor. The project also helped diminish the potential for overflow and contamination following excessive rain and reduced the amount of sludge produced at the plant.
“Undertaking an infrastructure project such as this requires long-term planning and commitment, which Camden’s leaders demonstrated,” said Rhiannon Hampson, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Maine State Director.
In fiscal year 2023, the agency invested at least $33 million in wastewater treatment improvements in Maine.
Other recent awards included the Lubec Water District, which received a grant of $25,000 to assess its 25 miles of water lines and overall water system. The pipes are over 100 years old, so the assessment effort will likely lead to significant updates in the future. The work complements an ongoing project to upgrade the town’s wastewater treatment facility and pumping stations. USDA Rural Development funded that work with a grant of $1.6 million and a loan of $2 million.
The Freeport Sewer District received a grant of $7.5 million and two loans totaling over $12.6 million. The district will update its wastewater treatment plant and collection system to be more effective and to help alleviate health and sanitary concerns. Due to Freeport’s location on Casco Bay Watershed, this project will potentially benefit other coastal communities such as Yarmouth, Falmouth, Phippsburg and Cape Elizabeth.
The Southwest Harbor Water and Sewer District on Mount Desert Island was awarded a $4.25 million grant and a loan of $5 million to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility beginning this year. The facility is located adjacent to the harbor in a high visibility, ecologically sensitive area.
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