Boothbay Harbor Sewer District (BHSD) trustees unanimously agreed June 3 to accept a $6,058,000 bid from Apex Construction to begin building phase 1 of their sea wall project. Construction will likely begin next year.  

A $877,400 contract amendment from engineering firm Wright-Pierce for phase 1 was also accepted. Wright-Pierce designed the sea wall and will be overseeing construction to make sure it meets the firm’s specifications, while Apex Construction will be doing the physical work.  

The additional fees cover construction, inspection, and post-construction services. According to operator-in-charge Chris Higgins, these line items weren’t included in the original contract as designs weren’t finished at the time, and the district didn’t know if the project would move forward.  

He explained, the fees can be reimbursed through either grant money or charged against a rural development loan.  

BHSD’s 2025 sludge disposal contract went to the current provider, Casella. Under the new terms, the base disposal cost will be $227.51 per wet ton, with the possibility of additional charges for rising gas prices or export to Canadian landfills. This is about a $43 increase from the previous price of $185. The district generates 375 tons of sludge per year.

In other business, trustees discussed moving a control panel closer to a sanitary sewer wet well on Roads End in Boothbay Harbor. Besides being too far from the wet well, the aging panel can't have new wire pulled in its conduits. Talks were tabled pending further investigation.