The Wiscasset Water District celebrated the end of 10 years of capital improvements Aug. 13 with a ceremonial valve-turning manned by Chair of the Board of Trustees Gregg Wood. Other trustees and representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and of the offices of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins looked on.

According to the water diistrict's director Chris Cossette, the newly completed capital improvement plan began in 2008 with a two-phase plan. The second included the village area and began in 2017. Cossette said the USDA was the primary funding source, and that money triggered other funds, in addition to ratepayer funds.

Wood thanked Cossette and the district for the “foresight and backbone” to get the needed work finished. Tim Hobbs of the USDA said Congress had granted the agency another $4 million to help rural communities replace aging infrastructure.

Pingree’s and Collins’ offices sent letters read by their representatives Monday.

Also there were many of the project's contractors, Paul Cody who was a consulting engineer on the project for many years, and employees of the district and Bath Water District, from which Wiscasset gets its water.

Cossette also thanked the people of Wiscasset for their support and understanding during construction.

Contractor E.J. Prescott had spray-painted the valve turner gold for the occasion. At the appointed time, Wood turned the valve connecting the last two new pipes laid underground at the corner of Hodge and Washington streets.