The Boothbay Harbor Planning Board approved two items from the Boothbay Harbor Sewer District (BHSD) at their Aug. 13 meeting. BHSD was required to submit applications for a site plan review and shoreland zoning permit for several electrical projects at its Boothbay Harbor plant.   

BHSD Operator in Charge Chris Higgins said the project includes relocating electrical lines underground, upgrading electrical distribution, and relocating a pump station. It also involves constructing a new 20-foot by 14-foot building to house electrical equipment, and upgrading the plant with a 100-watt generator. Higgins said the current generator wasn't large enough when it was installed in 1994, and “if we’re isolated and we lose power, were going to have to run the facility.”    

Higgins said the work is part of a two-phase project to increase resilience against rising sea levels, high tides, storms, and other environmental hazards, mentioning how the plant was subject to substantial flooding during storm activity in 2024. The second phase of the project will be to build a sea wall, which will require additional planning and permitting.   

Higgins said this first phase of the project is estimated to cost around $8.5 million, including engineering work and several hundred thousand dollars to cover contingencies. He said around $4.1 million was made available at the end of the Biden administration through the Maine Infrastructure Adaptation Fund, and the remainder recently came from USDA Rural Development, mostly in loans. He clarified that the funds will not pay for the sea wall.   

“We were a little antsy without having the balance funded, but they came through,” he said.   

The board unanimously accepted the site plan and shoreland zoning permit as submitted. Higgins also noted that BHSD is exempt from a resource protection permit, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.