HOULTON, Maine — A 30-year-old sewer system, located on tribal lands of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, that is no longer keeping up with demand should be replaced next year thanks to grants from a number of sources.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and Rep. Jared Golden announced on July 12 that Houlton Water Co. will receive $1,082,000 in federal funding to replace the Foxcroft Road and Clover Circle wastewater lift stations, which serve the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
This funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program will help replace the 30-year-old lift stations that are struggling to handle their daily loads and experiencing backups that put the health of the 285 people they serve at risk.
Those funds will cover about half the cost of the project, according to Greg Sherman, general manager of Houlton Water Co. Currently in the design phase, the project will likely cost the local utility company around $2 million to complete.
“This grant is a great opportunity for both the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Houlton Water Co. as we serve the Maliseet Village by providing water, sewer and electric services,” Sherman said. “The replacement of these sewer pump lift stations will provide a much-needed upgrade as the infrastructure that serves this community is aging and in need of renewal and modernization.”
The Houlton Band of Maliseets Village on the Foxcroft Road will be getting an upgrade to its sewer system thanks to a $2 million project by Houlton Water Company. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
The $1 million grant from USDA’s Rural Development program will be supplemented by funds from Native American housing; and the American Rescue Plan Act clean water funds so that the impact to HWC customers will be minimal.
The Clover Circle pump collects all the sewage from the Maliseet village and sends it to the Foxcroft Road pumping station, Sherman explained. That sludge is then pumped to Cooks Brook, where it is then gravity-fed to the HWC treatment plant.
The two lift stations are 30 years old and originally designed to handle only 38 housing units, but now handle the entire Riverside Village development of more than 285 tribal citizens. That development includes 56 single-family homes, seven duplex units, a six-unit and an eight-unit apartment complex, and the tribal health clinic and tribal preschool complexes.
The pump stations have had frequent backups creating a serious public health concern.
“We have had a lot of issues with those pumps,” Sherman said. “We have also had some pump failures.”
Sherman said the new lift stations will have increased capacity to handle all existing tribal users, plus any expansion that may take place on the tribal lands in the future.
Continuity of service will be enhanced with the addition of a generator at both lift stations. New technology upgrades will mitigate the threat of overflow events, and the cost of operation and maintenance will be greatly reduced.
“Effective water and wastewater systems are critical to the health, environmental safety, and economic viability of our communities,” said Collins, King and Golden in a joint press release. “This important investment from the USDA’s Rural Development program will improve fundamental wastewater services for the Houlton area while supporting local jobs and housing. It’s essential funding to address the significant public health threat the outdated stations pose. We’re glad to see this vital grant and look forward to the positive impact it will have on our Northern Maine tribal communities for years to come.”
Sherman said the partnership between his company and the HBMI has been exceptional.
“From the beginning, this has been a great partnership between HWC and HBMI as we have worked together to secure these funds to facilitate this project,” he said. “Tribal Chief Clarissa Sabattis has been engaged with the project from the outset, and been very supportive and provided labor and other resources to make this happen,” Sherman said.
Sherman estimated construction of the new lift stations would not take place until spring or summer of 2023.
“With this grant award, the project has entered the design phase,” he said. “The engineering firm of Wright Pierce Engineering, who was engaged at the onset of the project, is working on the final design of the project.”
