Boothbay Region Water District trustees unanimously agreed May 27 to borrow $1,433,000 with 70% principal forgiveness from the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to fund part of the district's Hendricks Hill Road water main replacement project. The operation will convert 8,000 feet of seasonal water main along Hendricks Hill Road in Southport to a buried year-round main. 

According to General Manager Weston Alley, the project’s total cost will be $5.3 million; however, deductions from a promised $3.87 million Environmental Protection Agency grant and the 70% forgiveness will leave BRWD’s final cost at $429,900. 

In other business, Brian McDonald of Boothbay shared concerns with the trustees about a lack of “long-term planning.” He said BRWD has been increasingly taking more water out of Knickerbocker, nearing the 51 million gallons allowed by its permit. He suggested reinvesting in local wells and West Harbor Pond to create a more robust local water system.