PARIS – Two candidates are in contention for one two-year trustee post in the Paris Utility District.
Edward T. Chouinard is running against Hans Paulsen, who formerly held the post but took a two-year hiatus from it.
Paulsen of Paris Hill Road was a trustee on the Public Utilities District for 15 years until he was defeated in 2002 in a bid for re-election to another two-year term. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and says he can serve the people of Paris because of his years of experience. He was a water treatment plant superintendent in Massachusetts.
He believes that the old water treatment plant in Paris, which goes back to the defunct Lawrence Leather Co. tanning operation, needs upgrading.
“We’re just hanging in there with old equipment,” he said in an interview Thursday.
“If the people want me, I think I could be of service,” he added.
Chouinard has 11 years experience in wastewater treatment having worked as a wastewater specialist for two paper mills in the state. He now works for the Portland Water District that treats an average of 30 million gallons of water daily compared with Paris’ 350,000 gallons.
He hopes to improve the efficiency of the wastewater plant, keep costs down and improve the town’s water quality. He contends that the efficiency of the plant can be improved through a review and renovation of the town’s pre-treatment plan. He also said that the town’s water quality could be boosted with the reinstatement of a nighttime hydrant flushing program that was abandoned due to staffing issues.
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