LIVERMORE FALLS — Livermore Falls has received a $1 million Northern Border Regional Commission grant toward a $2.35 million sewer rehabilitation project along Route 17.

The award was listed in the commission’s State of Maine 2026 Catalyst Program spring awards summary.

According to the award summary, the project will rehabilitate 1.1 miles of failing sanitary sewer along Route 17. The sewer line serves downtown businesses, medical offices, municipal facilities and multifamily housing.

The project includes relining sewer mains, replacing 88 service connections, repairing deteriorated manholes and eliminating inflow. The work also will be coordinated with MaineDOT’s roadway and drainage upgrades to avoid duplicate disruption and costs, according to the commission.

The grant amount is listed at $1 million, with a total project amount of $2.351 million.

Livermore Falls voters approved borrowing up to $2.35 million for the Route 17 sewer upgrades at a Nov. 13, 2025, special town meeting. The authorization covered planning, engineering, design, permitting, construction and related improvements from Shuy Corner to the Main and Church streets intersection.

The commission said Clean Water State Revolving Fund financing has been secured for the project. The exact local share and any loan forgiveness are expected to be clarified by the town.

Because voters directed that debt payments for the project be covered by sewer users, the grant and financing package could affect how much ratepayers are ultimately responsible for. The town has been asked to confirm what the grant and financing mean for sewer ratepayers.

The commission said the project is intended to reduce failures and combined sewer overflows, stabilize rates in a high-poverty area, and support economic revitalization.

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