By Kerri Pepoy,Staff Writer

NORWAY – Town officials have asked the neighboring town of Oxford to plan for an upgrade to a pump station that operates from Norway’s sewer system but serves businesses on Route 26 in Oxford.

Norway also is asking for equipment to be installed that will measure wastewater flow from Oxford to determine if future sewer users resulting from any additional development can be added to the system.

“It’s time to start thinking about it,” Norway Wastewater Superintendent Shawn Brown said Friday.

A letter dated Feb. 22 from Brown and Norway Town Manager David Holt asks the Oxford Board of Selectmen and Oxford Town Manager Michael Chammings for a meeting to discuss the issue.

The pump station in question was installed after Oxford and Norway in 1976 entered into an agreement to allow a sewer extension from Norway’s system to serve the Route 26 commercial area in Oxford.

A sewer system and pump station were subsequently installed, which currently serve several businesses including Hannaford, Pizza Hut and Viking Motors.

“Since pump stations are expected to last approximately 30 years, we feel the time is approaching for the town of Oxford to plan for an upgrade,” the letter states. “Ideally, this planning would avoid an unexpected financial burden to Oxford, and a plan would be in place before the pump station fails.”

Holt and Chammings were each unavailable for comment Friday.

Oxford Selectman David Ivey said Friday that Chammings had mentioned the issue to the board. The issue will be put on the agenda for an upcoming regular board meeting, although the meeting date hasn’t been determined yet, he said.

The Oxford Board of Selectmen meets on the first and third Thursday of every month. “I’m sure it will be on the agenda,” Ivey said.

The agreement drawn between the two towns in 1976 allows for up to 25,000 gallons of wastewater per day to be discharged into Norway. “It’s probably close to that (now),” Brown said.

The agreement also calls for the installation of equipment to measure wastewater flow from Oxford. The letter asks for that installation to be completed.

“Equipment to measure the flow from Oxford needs to be installed, as called for in the agreement, in order to address future questions concerning the system’s capacity to add customers,” it says. “This would enable the town to know in advance whether the capacity exists to accept additional development, since Oxford does not know if the current sewer users are nearing or exceeding the 25,000 gallons-per-day limit.”