Congressman Jared Golden, D-Lewiston, tours the Dixfield waste pump station June 30 on Hall Hill Road. Standing with him are Board of Selectmen Chairman Richard Pickett, foreground, and Paul Pomerleau of Ted Berry Co. in North Livermore, which operates and maintains the station. Golden is working to secure over $500,000 from the federal government for the upgrade. Submitted photo
DIXFIELD — A special town meeting will be held Monday to vote on money to renovate the 42-year-old waste pump station on Hall Hill Road. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Fire Station.
“Everybody with a flush in town should be at this meeting,” Selectman Pete Holman said.
The station pumps waste to the Rumford wastewater treatment plant on River Road.
Dixfield Town Manager Alicia Conn said very little maintenance has been done on the station, which was designed to last 20 years. Most of the equipment is original and finding parts is difficult, she said.
“It’s shaped to be about a $645,000 project,” she said. “We’re hoping to be able to secure 80% grant funding, either from Congressman (Jared) Golden’s Community Project Funding or Northern Borders Regional Grant Funding.”
Golden, a Lewiston Democrat, visited the station June 30.
“It seems like he got an impression of what we’re up against and that the renovations are needed,” Conn said. Golden indicated Dixfield has already made it through one round for consideration of funding and “most likely are going to make through the other. We’ll be waiting to hear at the end of August,” she said.
Voters will be asked to accept and authorize using federal funding, not to exceed $526,620, and limit the principal amount for the entire project to $645,620.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Richard Pickett said the project is contingent on receiving federal money.
“Without it, we’re just not in a position to do it,” he said.
Should the town receive the federal grant, the remaining 20%, or $109,000, would be financed by a local bank or the Maine Bond Bank and repaid by the system’s 551 users, Conn said.
She said if the system fails, it would cost $100,000 a day to keep it flushed out.
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