Eric Ritchie, left foreground, chief operating officer for contractor Sargent Corp. in Orono, and Travis Peaslee, right, general manager of the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority, are joined Wednesday by other dignitaries at the groundbreaking for a $30 million project at the wastewater treatment plant on Lincoln Street in Lewiston. A 2.1 million gallon holding tank will be built to prevent excess stormwater from bypassing the plant and getting into the Androscoggin River. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for what is dubbed “one of the most important projects of its kind in the state” for protecting public health and natural resources.

The $30 million project will expand the treatment capacity and build a large stormwater holding tank at the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority treatment plant at 535 Lincoln St. in Lewiston, preventing polluted water from entering the Androscoggin River during rainstorms.

According to a news release, Lewiston and Auburn are among 34 clean water utilities in Maine with aging pipe infrastructure that carries sewer and stormwater through the same network to treatment facilities. When storms increase water volume, untreated water can automatically bypass the facilities and be diverted into rivers, oceans, watersheds and bays.

The project, scheduled to be complete by early 2026, will add a 2.1 million-gallon “combined sewer overflow” tank to serve as a relief system during wet weather and expand the cities’ treatment capacity by 20%.

The Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority’s treatment plant on Lincoln Street in Lewiston is seen June 30. Ground was broken Wednesday for a 2.1 million gallon holding tank to be built in a field, center right, next to parking lot. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Michael Riley, senior environmental engineer at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, said the first inch of rain from a storm carries 80% of the pollution.

“So to be able to prevent that from entering Maine’s waterways is critical for the protection of both public health and our natural resources,” he said.

According to the state, rainstorms forced 197 million gallons of untreated water and sewage into the Androscoggin River in 2023. Statewide, the Maine DEP said 745 million gallons of untreated water polluted Maine waterbodies in 2023, a 244% increase from 2022.

There was a record 57 inches of rain in 2023 and the impact caused water quality issues and closures at beaches and fishing sites statewide, the release said.

The timing of the project comes in tandem with further efforts to improve the water quality of the Androscoggin River, which at one time was considered among the most polluted rivers in the country. But, after 50 years of protection efforts following the Clean Water Act of 1972, the Maine DEP is now reviewing an application to reclassify the entire river from the lowest Class C to a Class B, which means it is swimmable and fishable.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Lewiston-Auburn’s treatment plant earlier this year, the facility changed its name to the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority to better reflect its role in cleaning up the river. Officials said the former name, the Lewiston Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority, no longer defined the daily mission of the facility.

“This project is another example of our communities’ dedication to the protection and restoration of our river,” Kevin Gagne, director of Lewiston Public Works, said.

Mike Broadbent, superintendent of the Auburn Water and Sewer districts, said residents should be proud of the project “because it embodies our continued commitment to building infrastructure that protects our future.”

Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline called the Androscoggin River “a precious natural resource” that is “of paramount economic importance” to Lewiston.

“This project represents good stewardship, which will help safeguard the future health of the river,” he said.

According to the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority, the state and federal efforts to limit overflow events have made significant progress. In 2007, over 2.5 billion gallons of untreated stormwater and sewage entered Maine waters, but in 2022, that number was less than 400 million gallons.

“The trendline has certainly been positive in our community and statewide, but we have work left to do,” Travis Peaslee, general manager of the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority, said. “Our project is a great example of how communities can work together to continue to protect clean water in Maine.”

Peaslee said Wednesday that the project has been funded by an initial payment of $13.5 million between the Lewiston and Auburn sewer districts. Roughly $9.5 million came from Lewiston via the American Rescue Plan Act, with $4 million coming from an Auburn bond. Peaslee said the funding breakdown is based on a roughly 70/30 split between the cities based on the amount of stormwater.

Travis Peaslee, left, general manager of the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority, addresses dignitaries and others Wednesday morning at a groundbreaking ceremony at the treatment plant on Lincoln Street in Lewiston. The $30  million project involves constructing a 2.1 million gallon holding tank to prevent excess stormwater from bypassing the plant and getting into the Androscoggin River. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Another $18 million will be bonded through the Maine DEP’s revolving loan fund, Peaslee said, which includes built-in contingency funds officials are hoping not to spend.

The Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority was one of the first and largest clean water facilities in Maine, and currently cleans up to 32 million gallons of water daily before returning it to the river. The tank project will increase the plant’s capacity to 38 million gallons per day.