The water we drink comes from a river, lake, stream or underground well. When we are finished using it, the remains make their way to a wastewater treatment plant where pollutants are removed from the water. It is then disinfected and sent to a river, lake, stream or the ocean. The water actually returns to the environment where it may have once begun as a drop, completing the cycle of its purpose.

When the effluent returns to a body of water it travels through a pipe that is under water, allowing the effluent to mix with the rest of the water body. The cleanliness and oxygen content of the discharge must be of a level that does not degrade the receiving waters.

Maine waters are classified by law with a grading system that determines how they may be used by the public. Any effluent discharged must be equal to or better than the quality of the receiving water. There are fish that live in these waters that could be harmed if the effluent discharge depletes the oxygen in the water the fish need to live.

One of the prime recreational activities on Maine’s waters is fishing. Whether standing on a riverbank, in a lake, river or stream with a fly rod or in a boat on one of our many lakes or the ocean, fishing is an activity anyone can take part in. Through the efforts of Maine’s wastewater treatment plants, our recreational waters have been reclaimed as prime areas to be enjoyed by all of us.

Boaters and swimmers also benefit from the water quality enhanced by the wastewater systems in our state. There was a time when these waters were avoided by boaters and certainly swimmers due to the deteriorated condition they were in. The efforts of the people involved in the reclamation of these waters have resulted in more opportunities than ever for boating and swimming.

Our bays and rivers are attracting Mainers and tourists to come and enjoy the aquatic environment now available as a direct result of the operation of wastewater treatment plants statewide. The sight and sound of wind surfers in Portland’s Back Cove, fly fishermen on the Androscoggin River, striped bass fishing boats on the Kennebec River or tour boats shuttling sightseers around Penobscot and Casco bays are rewarding images of folks enjoying clean Maine waters.

Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of increased water quality in Maine is the reopening of once closed clam flats due to polluted waters. The men and women engaged in the shellfish industry are able to harvest shellfish from areas that have made a strong comeback due to the clean effluent discharged from coastal wastewater treatment plants.

In cooperation with the Department of Marine Resources, more and more treatment plants are working to mitigate closures by better plant management and faster notification to DMR when a heavy rainfall occurs in a localized area via the use of weather stations that provide real time information.

The future for Maine’s water resources are better than ever. Advanced treatment technologies and more stringent laws regarding effluent discharges will further enhance the efforts undertaken by Maine’s wastewater treatment plants. Along with these efforts comes a responsibility for all Mainers to be aware of the value of these systems. Without them, our states waters would not be the vital resources we enjoy today.