WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Jared Golden today announced that Houlton Water Company is receiving $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 (USDA) 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.

“Effective water and wastewater systems are critical to the health, environmental safety, and economic viability of our communities,” said Senators Collins and King and Representative Golden. “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 It’s essential funding to address the significant public health threat the outdated stations pose.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.”

“This grant is a great opportunity for both the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Houlton Water Company as we serve the Maliseet Village by providing water, sewer and electric services. 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,” said Greg Sherman, General Manager of Houlton Water Company. “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.”

The USDA Rural Development investment will be used to replace the Houlton Water Company Foxcroft Road and Clover Circle lift stations which serve the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. The two lift stations are 30-years old and were originally designed to handle only 38 housing units but now handle the entire Riverside Village development of over 285 tribal citizens, which includes 56 single family homes, seven duplex units, one six-unit and one eight-unit apartment complexes, and the tribal health clinic and tribal preschool complexes. The pump stations have experienced frequent backups creating a serious public health concern. The new lift stations will have the increased capacity to handle all existing tribal users plus the expansion of an additional 25 households. 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.

The USDA Rural Development program is a federal initiative committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Their programs offer loans, grants, and loan guarantees for rural areas to create jobs, boost economic development, and grow essential services such as housing, health care, and communications infrastructure.