Winter Harbor receives $1.3M in federal funding for its wastewater facility

Collins photo Courtesy / MEDILL DC, FLICKR; King photo Courtesy / U.S. Naval War College, FLICKR U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, announced the federal government has awarded a total of $1.3 million to assist Winter Harbor in an upgrade of its wastewater treatment system.

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By Staff

The Hancock County town of Winter Harbor will receive $1.3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Rural Development to upgrade its wastewater treatment system. The funds will be allocated as a $390,000 grant and a $910,000 loan.

The project will replace outdated equipment, make improvements at the wastewater treatment facility and install high-efficiency motors at all four of the pump stations, according to a joint news release from U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine.

The upgrades will help the Winter Harbor Utilities District meet clean water standards and protect the waters of Henry Cove and the Atlantic Ocean. The improvements are also expected to lower operational costs and maintain rates for system users.

Winter Harbor’s facility has been in operation for more than 40 years and serves 244 residential and 27 commercial and governmental customers.

Other funding for this project includes a $22,500 Rural Development Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households Grant (SEARCH); a $4.6 million Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal loan and grant combination from fiscal year 2016, and $923,077 from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

“Maintaining and upgrading water infrastructure is vital to ensuring the economic and environmental health of the community,” Collins and King said in a joint statement. “We welcome this important investment for Winter Harbor to improve its wastewater treatment system, which will help stabilize rates for homeowners and businesses, preserve water quality, and protect public health.”