Boothbay Region Water District customers may soon have another option in how to pay their bills. The district has contracted with Northern Data Systems of Falmouth to offer customers online billing and payment options. Beginning in a couple months, ratepayers could have the option of using e-checks, bank transfers, and online credit card transactions to pay their bill.

Operations Manager John Ziegra told the BRWD trustees on July 14 that the new payment option will make it more convenient for customers and that it saves the district money. The district has a two-month goal to implement the online option, according to Ziegra.

“The number one customer request  in recent years has been for online payments,” Ziegra said. “This will be especially helpful for those who live out of the country. The Bangor and Belfast water districts have been using online payments for a couple of years, and their customers have really embraced it.”

Ziegra also informed the trustees about a recent scam alert involving Maine water district customers. Two districts — Bangor and Newport — have reported customers receiving fraudulent calls demanding immediate payment.

The calls tell customers their service will be shut off unless a Walmart MoneyGram payment is received. The perpetrators also leave a 1-800 number for customers to call. Ziegra reported that when customers call the number, the operator answers either “Bangor or Newport Water District.”

“If you even suspect something is wrong or something doesn’t look right, call us here,” Ziegra said. ”We’d never ask a customer to do that or any other kind of stuff like that.”

In other business, the district is seeking a $75,000 Maine Natural Resource Conservation Grant to purchase 64 acres near Adams Pond. According to District Watershed program manager Sue Mello the district would use for conservation and restoring a stream impacted by logging.

District officials updated the trustees about the grant prior to submitting a letter of intent by the  July 15 deadline. The EPA will award grants up to $150,000.

Ziegra also reported the Southport Interconnection and Tank Replacement project was near completion.

The project is a $3.4 million project to provide water service and fire protection in Southport. The district began work last November, and has finished work on the tank site preparation and water main projects. Ziegra expects work on the third phase — a water storage tank — to be completed by Labor Day.

The Campbell Street project in Boothbay Harbor is also nearly finished. The district repaired the drainage and sewer systems on a 1,400-foot section and connected two water main lines.

“It looks done. The only thing left is the clean-up and repaving the road,” Ziegra said.

The BRWD will meet next at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28, in the business office.