Town announces details of proposed North Windham sewer project

Should residents approve a proposed plan to create a sewer
system for North Windham, work to install sewer pipes
would begin by summer 2023 and the entire project is
expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2026.
COURTESY PHOTO 

By Ed Pierce

During a meeting involving public and community leaders on March 23, Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts outlined plans for the town’s long anticipated North Windham Sewer Project.

Tibbetts told participants that if approved by residents at the Annual Windham Town Meeting in June, the intent of the project is to protect public health by safeguarding the environment while also promoting sustainable economic and community development along the 302 Corridor in North Windham.

He said that because of a lack of an effective sewer system, over the years contaminants continue to pollute the aquifer, threatening surrounding ponds and lakes, and stifling economic growth. For the past two decades increasing nitrate levels have been observed in the underlying aquifer that threaten local water resources including Sebago Lake.

“Efforts over the past 20 years to address wastewater issues in North Windham have been unsuccessful,” Tibbets told meeting participants. “Meanwhile public health and the environment are threatened. Current levels of nitrates in the groundwater at times have exceeded drinking water standards. Septic system pollution entering the aquifer directly impacts surrounding valuable water resources, and it needs to be addressed before the problem escalates and become irreversible.”

He also cited a lack of potential growth of the North Windham downtown commercial zone because the entire area is served by septic systems.

By installing a sewer system treating 50,000 gallons per day, Tibbetts said business growth in North Windham will be of significant benefit to the community, leading to economic growth and the creation of new housing, new hotels, new office and retail space and affordable options for small-scale manufacturing development.

According to Tibbetts, environmental benefits will also be realized by installing sewers in North Windham including preventing 7,500 pounds per year of nitrogen and 1,000 pounds of phosphorous from entering the aquifer.

“This project will be the first of this magnitude in Maine and can be a model for other communities who lack receiving waters,” he said. “If approved, it will be the most advanced micro-filtration system in the state for handling contaminants.”

The plan calls for construction of a public wastewater system and will result in the removal of about 100 septic systems that are currently discharging into the North Windham aquifer. It would lead to the creation of a collection and pumping system over three miles in length to connect businesses and residents to the system and will treat wastewater through an advanced micro-filtration system.

Current businesses will be able to further grow and expand while new businesses can be situated without further degrading the aquifer and using valuable real estate for septic systems, Tibbetts said.

The proposed system would also create a new pumping station near Windham High School and RSU 14 that would service from the high school campus to a new treatment facility in North Windham.

The overall estimated cost of the sewer project is $46 million. Tibbetts said Windham can afford to contribute $16.7 million, with another $15 million coming from TIF financing. Tibbetts said Windham will allocate its $1.7 million American Rescue Plan Authority funding to the project and has also applied for Cumberland County ARPA funding of $1.2 million. The Town and Portland Water District will also apply for ARPA funding of up to $10 million for the project later this year.

A preliminary engineering report was completed, and a project budget was established April 1 with the town applying for preapproval of a groundwater discharge permit on April 15.

Should residents OK the project at the town meeting in June, a design build team will be formed by this fall and construction set to begin by Summer 2023.

The timeline for the Wastewater Treatment facility includes a public meeting hosted by the Portland Water District scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 27 at Manchester School and a completion date of 2025 if approved at the town meeting.

Tibbetts said the town could opt to complete the project in phases if residents want to explore that option to fund the project. <