Sens. Collins, King announce $3M for Dexter Utility District
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Angus King, I-Maine announced a total of $5,105,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development for improvements to water and wastewater infrastructure in Penobscot, Oxford, Washington and Aroostook counties.
The funding allocation includes a loan and grant for the Dexter Utility District, which has been awarded a $1,950,000 loan and a $1,095,000 grant to upgrade four sewer pump stations and make improvements to the wastewater treatment facility. The system currently serves approximately 831 households and 104 businesses and public facilities in Dexter.
“Maintaining and upgrading water and wastewater systems is vital to ensuring the economic and environmental health of the community,” said Sens. Collins and King in a joint statement. “We welcome these important infrastructure investments in rural Maine communities, which will ensure that Mainers continue to have access to clean, safe water while creating and retaining jobs.”
The Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation has been awarded a $2,000,000 grant to upgrade the sewer main along Passamaquoddy and Ball Field Roads and replace a lift station to address sewage backups into basements along Passamaquoddy Road.
The Rumford-Mexico Sewage District has been awarded a $30,000 predevelopment planning grant to fund a study to determine what the best options for the current wastewater treatment plant might be for the facility located in Mexico, Maine.
Island Falls has been awarded $30,000 for the preparation of a preliminary engineering report to determine the feasibility of providing public sewer to the town, which currently lacks a wastewater system.
In the past five years, USDA Rural Development has invested over $190.4 million in helping Maine’s rural towns with water and wastewater infrastructure.
The Water and Waste Disposal grant program aims to help rural communities establish best practices that can save tax dollars, improve the environment, and help manufacturers and businesses to establish or expand operations.