May 2024 Newsletter Introduction In November, I became a Trustee for the Lincolnville Sewer District (LSD), having lived in the District for the last 14 years and being interested in helping support its efforts at cleaning up the Lincolnville Beach and harbor waters. I was elected Chief Trustee Chair, working with Chris Nickerson and Chris Strazzula, Trustees, and Paul Lippman, Alternate, overseeing its operations. I encourage everyone to thank Paul and Catherine Lippman for their years of leadership in the concept, development, funding, and construction of the current Waste Water Treatment Plant, which is a state-of-the-art facility producing a better environment for all of Lincolnville Beach and beyond, in terms of tourism, and property tax benefits to the town. This newsletter will be published at regular intervals to keep the District and Lincolnville residents up to date on LSD operations. For more information about the LSD, explore our website.
Lincolnville Sewer District Performance Hello all, my name is Mike Harris, and I am the Lincolnville Sewer District's Superintendent. I want to take a moment to explain the Lincolnville wastewater plant. The type of plant we have is called an Amphidrome system. The system's core is the sand filter bed that filters all the flow. A computer program controls the plant, backflushes the sand filter, and returns the captured solids to the beginning of the plant. As the solids accumulate within the system, we regularly have the solids removed. The plant is operated under a permit by the Environmental Protection Agency that the Maine Department of Environmental Protection governs. Four major parameters have limits we are required to remain within. They are biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, fecal coliform, and enterococci. I am happy to report that the treatment plant produces incredibly clear effluent. For the first two parameters, our lab results show that we are below the detectable limits of each. As for our fecal and enterococci parameters, we have had a few exceedances due to a learning curve while maintaining our Ultraviolet disinfection system and knowing the best time to pump out our equalization basin. Our current coliform tests are coming out as less than detectable. In closing, the decision to build a new treatment facility has been hugely successful in protecting Lincolnville Beach's environmental integrity and should continue for many years to come. Plant Maintenance / Upgrades The LSD uses an outfall pipe that was installed in the 1990s. Damage has occurred, some possibly due to the recent storms. We are pleased to have received a grant from Maine DEP to replace and secure the pipe. Design engineering is now underway for this work. A new backup generator will be installed this spring for the pump station located next to the Beach Store in case of a power failure (The plant itself has a large backup generator). Some residents near the plant noted odors this past summer. It was discovered the Odor Control Fan was malfunctioning. A replacement is being obtained to resolve this issue. EDU rate increase At our February 27 meeting, the Trustees voted to increase the EDU rate to $835, effective Jan 1, 2024, from $635, an increase of 31%. Here is some background information to help everyone understand why this was necessary.
The LSD Trustees, attempting to balance fiscal responsibility for the District against the impact of increased user fees, decided to use two-thirds of the district’s available cash reserves and apply them to the 2024 budget, keeping the EDU rate increase to its current $835, instead of a much higher amount. From this perspective, consider the life of a leech field and its replacement. A leech field, especially a mound type, can cost up to $15- 20,000 to replace with a 20-year life or $750 - $1000/yr. Current LSD rates are in line with this. LSD trustees are working hard to keep rates as low as possible and are considering additional income sources to limit future rate increases. Liens A few District residents received lien notices from LSD this month based on seriously delinquent non-payment of standby EDUs. This is a reminder that LSD is legally allowed to file such liens for non-payment and that once filed, the homeowner will need to pay off the debt, interest, and fees before selling or transferring their property. Recent Press: Pen Bay Pilot (11/20): Lincolnville's Big Dig... it's finally happening Courier-Gazette (10/19): Bids for new sewer plant higher than expected Slideshow Correction Note: the Healthy Beaches Program data shows that the beach testing resulted in 62 days of bacteria levels above the acceptable US EPA levels for safety, over a 12 year period. This resulted in advisories, rather than closures. However, the director of the Healthy Beaches program, Keri Kaczor, states that weekly testing of Lincolnville Beach has shown elevated levels of bacteria (beyond safe levels) 17% of the time and as high as 240x higher than the safety limit for contact. Frohock Brook tested higher than EPA safety levels 40% of the time. She summarizes the primary cause being human pollutants. (absent or aging infrastructure, overboard discharge units, malfunctioning septic systems and cesspools). Excessive levels of bacteria and other factors can cause an advisory, upon which the EPA warns the public to avoid all water contact activities.
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