WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Jared Golden announced that Searsport has been awarded a grant of $1,150,000 and a loan of $1,190,000, totaling $2,340,000, to upgrade the town’s wastewater treatment facility. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development program and will help Searsport address concerns of toxic chemicals polluting the Penobscot Bay.

“Modern wastewater facilities are vital to the public health, economic success, and environmental sustainability of Maine’s rural towns,” said Senators Collins and King and Representative Golden. “This funding from the Rural Development program will help Searsport create a 21st century wastewater system that will support the health of Penobscot Bay and the thriving communities surrounding it for years to come. We’re grateful for this significant, timely investment in our state by the USDA.”

The grant of $1,150,000 and loan of $1,190,000 from the USDA’s Rural Development program will be used to upgrade Searsport’s wastewater treatment facility from a primary treatment facility to a secondary treatment facility with tertiary treatment for disinfection. The investment will also be used for upgrades to all eight of the town's pump stations. The wastewater treatment facility upgrades are required to meet the conditions of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection draft discharge permit.