Boothbay Harbor Sewer District (BHSD) received a funding package from USDA Rural Development for its sea wall construction project. This totaled about $3.83 million in loans and $400,000 in grant money.  

Operator-in-charge Chris Higgins said he was disappointed with the grant figure as the district would have received at least $1 million in the past. However, he was told by the lending officer that they were “lucky” to receive $400,000 in the current political climate, as many funds have been cut.  

The district is in the final stages of getting a temporary construction easement from neighboring property Bristol Marine for the project. Higgins is also applying for a building permit, which will go in front of the Boothbay Harbor planning board in August.  

In other business, the trustees discussed equipment changes, including selling a 2014 truck that has gone unused and replacing an overhead hoist on the loading dock. According to Higgins, the hoist has been at the plant since the ‘90s and is on “borrowed time. " It will cost about $11,000 to replace.  

BHSD is also trial running a new polymer that has, so far, proved more effective at driving water out of their sludge; less water makes the sludge lighter, and sludge disposal costs are correlated to weight, so this could cause prices to go down.