A public hearing was held recently when trustees explained the district's plan to borrow $380,000 from a state revolving loan fund to replace the two main pumps.

"It's just normal procedure; you have to maintain the system," Eric Ward, contract manager of the plant, said Saturday.

The trustees believe now is the time to start upgrading the 30-year-old system, rather than wait until it wears out, Ward said.

Recognizing that it would be too costly to upgrade the entire system at once, the trustees plan to replace the two, 60 hp pumps that now are underground. The proposed new pumps, which will be slightly larger, will be installed above ground and will be enclosed in a small fiberglass building, he said.

Ward said he searched extensively for grants to fund the project but had no success, so trustees decided to borrow the money. It is unknown what effect this project will have on sewer rates, he said. Ward said the discussion will come later in the year after the bids have been received.

The lagoon treatment plant serves more than 650 units, which include single dwellings, apartment houses and businesses in Greenville and Moosehead Junction Township. The system is licensed to treat 170,000 gallons of wastewater per day, according to Ward. Last year with all the rainfall the region had, the system still ran below that maximum, he said.

Trustees at their June meeting are expected to complete the project, Ward said. He expects that once the project has been awarded, work will begin in early fall and conclude by midfall.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Tuesday, May 30, 2006 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."