LEWISTON – Maine’s water and sewer systems will need millions of dollars worth of investments – and water users and ratepayers could end up footing the entire bill.

Federal agencies have less money for repairing and replacing water and sewer programs, according to speakers at a conference Thursday on public infrastructure.

“Say goodbye to the big grants,” said Steve Levy, executive director of the Maine Rural Water Association. “A couple of you will do well, but the rest of you will be disappointed, and it’s not your fault.”

Across the country, water treatment facilities built in the 1970s are in need of repair. Water lines, which are at least 100 years old in parts of Maine, need to be replaced as well.

“We need to get used to the idea that 50 to 75 percent of the systems we need to replace were built with almost 95 percent federal grants,” said Al Curran, commissioner of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. “Those grants aren’t there anymore, and they’ll have to be replaced with local funds.”

The conference brought representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, as well as U.S. Department of Agriculture officials, to meet with Maine water district workers, officials, town councilors and regional planners.

Working together is going to be one option for small water systems, according to the speakers.

“Collaboration is not part of your strategy today – I can assure it will be a way for you to contain costs,” said Curran. His group, the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, represents water and sewer districts in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and northern New York state.

“One obvious tactic is shared maintenance items that can be shared with the community next door,” Curran said. “Those kinds of things are going to have to become second nature, all the way from laboratory costs to maintenance to training your professionals. There are all kinds of opportunities.”

Grant money will be available. Michael Aube, state director for the USDA, said the federal government earmarked $200 million for Maine’s water systems in the last fiscal year, and more than $1 billion since 2001.

Nationally, Congress is considering a $1.1 billion allotment for sewer and water systems, according to Patrick Woodcock, legislative assistant to Sen. Snowe.

“But the discussion has to change,” Woodcock said. “There is a crisis looming, and we are looking at $350 billion nationally to repair it. Small bills will move through Congress, but we need to have a broader discussion about paying for these things.”

Jim Maras, director of water programs for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said rural development program water and sewer districts are going to become accustomed to paying for many things themselves. He encouraged districts to begin setting aside some revenue to pay for regular repairs.

That also means higher water and sewer rates.

“Reasonable rates are going to be the key to getting improvements paid for,” Maras said, explaining that reasonable rates may be higher than water users are accustomed to.

“If you are still billing your customers quarterly, I don’t care what the rate is – it’s too low,” he said.