Some of the infractions were due to heavy rain.
By John Plestina
Special to the Sun Journal

LEWISTON – The directors of the city’s sewage treatment plant were told Friday that the facility violated its state permit seven times in August.

Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority Superintendent Clayton “Mac” Richardson reported the violations of the permit that was issued by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection last year were due mostly to heavy rain in August.

Six of the violations were brought about by exceedences in the amounts of effluent that were allowed to pass through the plant.

Richardson said these violations were caused by a lack of adequate disinfection.

Five of the seven excesses were for E. coli during periods of heavy rain when a secondary bypass system was active, he said. Another was for a presence of E. coli at a time when the plant was not bypassing a portion of the flow. The seventh violation was for the presence of suspended solids during a period of heavy rain.

In other business, Richardson said that compost sales are down considerably from last year. LAWPCA is trying to market compost to golf courses.

Richardson told the board that septic receiving has increased considerably because some Cumberland County towns that previously sent sewage to a treatment plant in Portland are now shipping solid waste to the Lewiston facility because of new stricter regulations and an increase in paperwork required by the Portland Water District. Those towns include Casco, Gray, New Gloucester, Naples and Raymond.

Also, Richardson reported that 70 percent of biosolids have been delivered to farms and that LAWPCA is on schedule for biosolid deliveries this year.

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