PARIS — The minimum sewer rate for residents will increase by 32 percent.

The Paris Utility District Board of Trustees held a public hearing explaining the hike on Monday night. According to Chairman Peter Bickford, a $10.8 million upgrade was necessary for the ailing system, which was built in 1975.

He said that aside from some finishing work set for the spring, the new plant upgrades are complete, for now.

“It’s like buying a computer,” Bickford said. “It’s good for now. Five years from now, there may be some things we have to have.”

He said the original budget for the upgrade was $14.1 million, but trustees and employees found ways to save money and trim more than $3 million from that figure.

The minimum charge to residents, for up to 1,200 feet per quarter, will rise from about $94 to $124.08 per quarter.

Residents in attendance asked if there were more ways to save money, and some provided suggestions.

One change that could save money for residents would be to include Oxford in the utility district. With the casino planned to be complete in the next year, Oxford is looking into expanding sewer service down Route 26, possibly all the way to the casino on Pigeon Hill, to entice new businesses to move in.

The treatment plant has excess capacity, Bickford said. According to Bickford, Oxford Town Manager Michael Chammings has approached the district to ask if it would consider combining Oxford into the district.

Bickford said that would be “a major boost to our district,” and one that could lower payments for sewer users.

Oxford is also looking into combining with the Mechanic Falls utility district or even building its own treatment facility, Bickford said, and developers working for Black Bear Entertainment have already drawn up plans for a large leech field to be built behind the casino.

Trustee Mark Bancroft admitted that the board’s hiring of an expensive, highly-regarded attorney was a mistake and cost the project tens of thousands of dollars.

Trustee Janet Jamison agreed with resident Barbara Payne that board members could take a pay cut. Currently, the five trustees are paid $125 per month.

Bancroft said he felt the compensation to trustees was already low, and “a drop in the bucket” compared to the district’s budget.

Some compared the Paris rates to Norway, which has a base sewer rate of only about $25 per quarter. Bickford explained that was because Norway has a simpler, lagoon-based treatment system. The Paris system was built when the town had a tannery and cannery, which required specialized, more expensive controls.

Trustee Alvin Barth said regulations from the Department of Environmental Protection have added to the costs by requiring the plant to filter out more copper, even though, according to Bickford, the plant’s output into the Little Androscoggin is cleaner than the water already running in the stream.

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