LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen on Wednesday, Nov. 6, were told once the wastewater treatment facility upgrade is completed and fully funded the project will have received about $16.25 million in grants and taken out almost $4.9 million in loans.

From left Livermore Falls Selectmen Bruce Peary, Jim Long, William Kenniston, Jeffrey Bryant and John Barbioni are seen Wednesday evening, Nov. 6,during a board meeting where an update on the wastewater treatment facility upgrades was shared. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Sewer Superintendent Mark Holt said the project is funded 77% through grants and 23% with loans.

In 2022 Maine’s congressional delegation secured $1.7 million in congressionally directed spending [CDS] towards the project which was about 16% complete then.

Livermore Falls and Jay are splitting the cost of the upgrade equally. Livermore Falls sewer users pay for the Livermore Falls portion of the department and plant. Jay sewer users pay for their share of the operation and maintenance of the Sewer Department and plant.

Livermore Falls owns and operates the facility, which was built in the 1970s. It underwent an $5.8 million partial upgrade in 1998, and some of the concrete is approaching 50 years old.

The cost of the 1998 upgrade was shared, with Livermore Falls paying 51% and Jay 49%, Holt said in 2008.

In January, it was reported about 85% of the first phase of upgrading the facility had been completed.

On Wednesday Holt said, “We have expended about $13.04 million to date. We have approximately $11 million left, and our annual total estimated payment for these loans that we will be taking out is $242,000 a year. The Town of Jay will be paying half of that.”

There are four parts or milestones to the upgrades, Holt noted. “Milestone one was the original upgrade, $14 million,” he said. “We added in milestone two and three, that was $3 million in cost. And then we’ve added in milestone four for $4.15 million. The total upgrade cost is $21,150,032.”

Milestone four is likely to be prioritized and shortened based on needs and funding availability, Holt said. “Milestone four is a wish list that we’re going to try and get as much stuff done as we can that needs to be done,” he noted. “We will not be going over the $21,150,032.”

Part of the $7 million in CDS funding will be used to pay back some loans – turning them into interim loans, Holt stated. No interest will be paid on those loans, he noted. “The catch with the $7 million is we can only go back to October 1 of 2023 to reimburse ourselves for those expenses,” he shared. “If we had not gotten the grant money our annual debt service payment would have been $1,294,382 a year [$647,191 per town]. Instead we’re paying $242,000.”

“This is probably the number one funded project in the state of Maine,” Holt stated. “Many towns are very envious of our funding.”

“If I remember correctly, everybody views it as quite exceptional,” Selectman Jim Long said. “It’s exceptional in a very good, positive way.”

The project is expected to be completed about two years from now as some materials needed will not be available until about 10 months from now, Holt said. Construction will shut down for the winter, possibly come back mid summer and then shut down again, he noted.

“The work that is being done outdoors – the reason that the Foundry Road is closed – that will be done this fall,” Holt said. “The only time it will be closed next year is when we actually do paving.”