AUBURN – Dealing with big storm sewer problems has paid off for the city’s sewer district, in the form of a national award.

Auburn is scheduled to receive a first-place award today from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its work reducing combined sewer overflows – instances when raw sewage is forced into the Androscoggin River by heavy rains.

“We did it by going for the big projects first,” said Normand Lamie, superintendent of the Auburn Sewerage District. “We removed the greatest volumes first, and that seemed to work for us.”

Both cities were built with combined sewer systems. Household and commercial sewage flow in the same pipes as those carrying water from the storm sewers. All of it is carried to the Lewiston-Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority before it’s released into the river. Heavy runoff can overwhelm the system, flushing excess storm water and raw sewage out of access points along the river.

In 1994, federal law required both cities to build parallel storm-water systems. Those carry storm water directly to the river.

Auburn began working on a 15-year project in 1999 calling for $19.2 million worth of work to build the parallel system.

“We are about seven years into the plan, and just over 52 percent complete,” Lamie said. Crews have sealed five of the 11 river overflow points and expect to seal two more this year.

The city was nominated by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s Water Quality Management division. The award is being presented at the Water Environment Federation’s conference in Dallas Monday.

“Its just recognition for a job well done,” said Brian Kavanah, division director.

But State Sen. John Nutting, a Democrat from Leeds, doesn’t see it that way.

“I’m just flabbergasted,” he said. “I will grant that Auburn has done a better job than Lewiston, but I hardly think they were the best in the state.”

Nutting pointed to statistics from 2004 and 2005. Auburn released 5 million gallons of overflowing sewage during storms in 2004 and 37 million gallons in 2005. Augusta had a similar amount released into the Kennebec River both years. Bangor released 194 million gallons in 2004, and increased to 303 million gallons in 2005. That city’s discharges go into the Penobscot River.

“I just think Augusta and Bangor have been spending their money more aggressively than Auburn,” Nutting said.

Dave Deegan, a spokesman for the EPA’s New England office, said the award simply recognizes Auburn’s work.

“I don’t want local politics to diminish giving the people in Auburn a pat on the back,” Deegan said. “All we are saying is, these guys have done great work and we’re recognizing them for it.”