Boothbay Harbor Sewer District Superintendent Chris Higgins updated the selectboard Aug. 28 on several ongoing water issues. Higgins reported some progress and funding setbacks on projects to mitigate environmental damage to the system.  

The Maine Climate Council said the state is expected to receive 1.5 more feet of sea level rise by 2050 and four more feet by 2100. According to Higgins, this will be a serious issue for Boothbay Harbor’s oceanfront water treatment plant. In the past 12 months, the plant has had three storms where they have seen backups at the facility, Higgins said. The same tides brought water to the facility’s asphalt level six inches from going in the doors, he said. 

The facilities were not built to withstand the issue. “In 1960 nobody was concerned about sea level rise,” he said. 

Higgins said there have been talks about moving the plant, but the cost ended up being too high; other towns, including Wiscasset, are looking at moving their plants at a $40-50 million price tag.

Instead, the district plans to build a seawall to protect the plant. Higgins said the project is estimated to cost $8.6 million, including process upgrades to the facility while work is being done. He said they have already received $4.3 million from Maine Department of Transportation and $200,000 from Lincoln County. There was also a public hearing Aug. 7 to apply for a $2.6 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant. 

Higgins said the district lost out on $4.3 million in congressional funding, supported by U.S. Angus King, I - Maine. He said Boothbay Harbor was competing against all of the Midcoast for the funds, and will try again next year. 

“If we don’t find funding, I don’t know what the board is going to do,” Higgins said. “... Because the rate payers certainly can't afford to swallow that difference. That will have a big impact on rates.” 

Higgins said he expects work to start in the fall of 2024 if funding comes through, and permit applications to the Army Corps of Engineers and Natural Resources Protection Act have recently been submitted. 

Higgens said there may be some ways to limit the final cost. He suggested potentially eliminating the process upgrades, phasing the project, or even water tightening the doors, windows and other building orifices as a temporary solution. 

Higgins, however, will not be seeing the project to completion. After almost three decades of working with the sewer district, he said he plans to retire after December. At the meeting, he introduced the new superintendent, Nick DeGemmis, who has around 15 years of experience in the industry.  

“He’s well versed, and he will do a fine job here,” Higgins said.  

In addition, Higgins requested the selectboard raise the stipend for the Board of Trustees of the Boothbay Harbor Sewer District who he said meet at least twice a month. The selectboard unanimously voted to raise the stipend from $1,000 a year to $1,680.  

In other business, Finance Officer Kathleen Pearce gave the selectmen an update on the town's year-end fiscal situation and said, “overall, for year end, we did pretty well.” Town Manager Julia Latter said town revenues exceeded expenditures. For this year, Pearce said the town’s revenue was $1.92 million with $1.42 million of expenditures, and tax collection for June 30 was at 99.4% as of the meeting.

The selectboard approved a $167,000 purchase order for the LED street light conversion, the total cost of the project according to Latter. She said costs were $7,000 over budget due to the cost to install smart controls and bell lights that match lighting at Whale Park and the Footbridge; the extra cost was paid for through reserves. Latter said this was the final stage of purchasing for the project and installation will begin soon. 

Latter said the Footbridge renovation project is weeks away from total completion, and final inspections with contractors and MDOT are planned to be finished by mid-September.