JAY — The town’s share of the operation and maintenance costs for the Livermore Falls Treatment Plant will decline for the sixth consecutive year as of July 1, according to Sewer Superintendent Mark Holt.

Selectpersons voted to set the sewage flow percentage rate for Jay’s share at 52.3 percent for 2014-15, Town Manager Shiloh Ring said April 30. Jay’s rate this year is 53.3 percent.

The percentage is based on the sewage flow from Jay treated at the Livermore Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant in Livermore Falls.

Jay and Livermore Falls share the cost of the operation and maintenance of the plant based on the flow rate. Livermore Falls owns the plant.

Town and sewer officials from both towns acknowledge that an agreement between the two towns regarding the treatment plant and costs is currently under review by a joint sewer panel. The two town managers and two sewer trustees/selectpersons from each town serve on the committee. The panel is charged to investigate the most cost-effective way to collect and treat wastewater, according to Holt.

Livermore Falls sewer trustees are expected to act on the proposed 47.7 percent flow rate for that town for 2014-15 at their next meeting. The current rate is 46.7 percent.

The agreement between the two towns for wastewater treatment flows states that flows will be monitored at the treatment plant, Route 4 meter, Route 133 flow meter and water readings for properties on Free and Knapp streets that do not flow through one of the sewage metering stations, according to a report by Holt and Greg Given. The two streets go through both towns.

All of the flow values for the year are entered into a formula to determine the percentage each town pays during the upcoming fiscal year.

Jay’s share in 1995-96 was 44.3 percent and it continued to rise until 2008-09 when it was set at 60.5 percent. Since then the rate has been on the decline.

dperry@sunjournal.com