Southwest Harbor gets $4.25M federal grant to upgrade wastewater plant

Courtesy/ U.S. Department of Agriculture An aerial photo shows the site of a wastewater treatment facility in Southwest Harbor.

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By Alexis Wells

The Southwest Harbor Water and Sewer District has been awarded a $4.25 million federal grant and a low-interest loan of $5 million to help pay for wastewater treatment upgrades.

Planning for the upgrades started in 2018. But the project has faced hurdles since then, including the rising costs of materials and equipment.

The announcement is the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s final Water and Environmental Programs award of the fiscal year 2023, according to a news release.

Over the year, the agency said it has invested over $33 million for wastewater treatment projects in the state, which help improve quality of life in rural communities and help protect Maine’s waterways.

Among the other upgrades:

The Lubec Water District received a grant of $25,000 to assess its 25 miles of water lines and overall water system.
The town of Camden received a grant of $1.4 million and a loan of $12.5 million to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility and pump stations.
The Freeport Sewer District received a grant of $7.5 million and two loans totaling over $12.6 million.

“At Rural Development we know that wastewater treatment upgrades are critically important and incredibly expensive,” said Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson.

“Mount Desert Island epitomizes Maine’s culture of conservation and natural resource protection in balance with economic vibrancy,” she continued. “Undertaking an infrastructure project in such a place requires long-term environmental leadership, which Rural Development brings to the table. We look forward to seeing this project through to completion with Southwest Harbor’s dedicated local leaders. Towns across Maine are engaged in similar projects thanks to these major investments by the Biden-Harris Administration.”