The town of West Paris is applying for a $1 million Community Development Block Grant on behalf of the its Water District.

The West Paris Water District needs to replace its leaky, 60-year-old holding tank by Dec. 31, 2027, in order to stay in compliance with a consent agreement issued last fall by the Maine Drinking Water Program.

The Select Board held a special meeting Jan. 15 and voted unanimously to sign a letter of intent to apply. The deadline to submit it to Maine Department of Economic and Community Development for consideration was noon Jan. 16.   

The letter states the consent agreement written by Maine Drinking Water identified 23 recommendations following last year’s reservoir inspection related to sanitary improvements or eliminating contamination. There were six high priority recommendations and three were critical.

If the letter of intent is accepted, West Paris must submit the grant application by March 13. Approved grants will be distributed after July 1, the start of Maine’s new fiscal year.

The Water District hired engineering company Gorrill Palmer of South Portland to survey its system and design a replacement. The estimated project cost is $2.64 million. 

West Paris and the Maine Rural Water Association, which manages the Water District’s operations and administration, will also apply for $1.64 million through Maine’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which administers federal funds to disadvantaged communities.