Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) 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.

“Maintaining and upgrading water and wastewater systems is vital to ensuring the economic and environmental health of the community,” said Senators 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 funding is allocated as follows:

• Dexter Utility District, of Dexter, Maine, has been awarded a loan in the amount of $1,950,000 and a grant in the amount of $1,095,000 to upgrade its 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 the town of Dexter.
• Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation has been awarded a grant in the amount of $2,000,000 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.
• 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.
• The Town of 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 of Island Falls, 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.