Dear Editor:

If you live in Wiscasset, it is time you started to pay close attention to the sewer plant relocation issue.

The town's engineering consultant reported the sewer treatment plant is in danger of being inundated by rising sea water, following which the town received a $10 million loan offer from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), which is available only if the plant is relocated, and the Select Board has since voted unanimously to comply with the CWSRF mandate.

Article 3 of the special town meeting on Sept 1, if approved, commits the town to relocating the sewer treatment plant by accepting the $10 million loan from the CWSRF fund.

Relocation to the rejected Mason Station site is estimated to cost $65 million. The Select Board voted to appoint an Advisory Committee to weigh in on the selection of a new sewer plant location.

To date, the only “free” funding is a potential $1 million "forgiveness" from the offered $10 million CWSRF loan, if accepted at the Sept 1 special town meeting. The rest of the $65 million would be borrowed, at a total cost, including debt service, of $100 to $120 million. This would add nearly $5 million to the town budget annually for the next 30 years.

Issues deserving your attention include the absence of discussion of (entirely feasible) mitigation measures that would enable the plant to remain where it is.

The current plant is operating at 35% capacity with 810 users.

The total cost of mitigation against rising sea water and to maintain and upgrade the sewer treatment processes over the next two decades, at the current location, is in the $25 million range according to knowledgeable sources.

This entire relocation issue is being driven by the belief the Maine Department of Environmental Protection will not approve future licensing and upgrade actions at the current site, including mitigation against sea water rise. A deeper dive into the regulatory weeds than has apparently occurred is critical prior to committing the town (or, separately, the 810 users), to $100 million (or more) of debt.

Vote NO on Article 3. It is an issue of dollars and sense.

William Sutter

Wiscasset