The Freeport Sewer District has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for May 7 to mark the start of its wastewater infrastructure upgrade and rehabilitation project at 43 South Freeport Road.
The project received $20.1 million from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.
“We are pleased to mark the groundbreaking of a project that has been years in the making and represents a once-in-a-generation investment,” said Mike Ashby, the district’s chair.
The project is a “significant step forward in strengthening Freeport’s wastewater infrastructure for the future,” he added.
Phased construction
“As commercial clammers, we depend on clean water,” Ashby and Tom Hudak, the district’s treasurer, said in a joint statement. “This project allows the district to continue to protect the Harraseeket River and Casco Bay for everyone. The project is a critical investment in upgrading the district’s 50-year-old facilities and ensuring effective wastewater treatment for our community and visitors for decades to come.”
Work will begin this month on a new administration and laboratory building. The phase will be completed by Freeport-based Doten’s Construction and represents the first component of the district’s $20.1 million upgrade.
If all proceeds on schedule, staff are anticipated to move into the building by late January 2027.
Additional progress is expected by mid- to late summer, when T-Buck Construction in Turner is anticipated to begin rehabilitation and upgrades to the district’s three treatment units, which are the heart of the wastewater treatment process.
The project is the culmination of years of planning to update the wastewater treatment. It was designed by Woodard & Curran Inc. in Portland. Funding was provided with grant and low-interest loans from USDA-Rural Development.
