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Portland Water District works 24 hours a day, 365 days a year keeping our
region's water clean, safe and healthy. At this very moment, millions of gallons
of wastewater are being recycled through PWD's five treatment facilities before
flowing back into our environment clear and clean.
The following wastewater facilities are presently in operation serving the Portland Metropolitan area:
Population Served: 60,000
Flow (millions of gallons per day):
Average: 19.8
Peak Flow: 80.0
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The Portland wastewater facility actually produces two end products:
millions of gallons of clean water, which flow in Casco Bay, and hundreds of
tons of treated biosolids, which are trucked to Maine farms and spread on
fields to condition the soil.
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Portland's wastewater treatment facility is Maine's largest. Eleven pumping
stations located around the city help to move wastewater to the facility. Since
first opening in 1979, Portland's facility has been expanded and modified in
order to handle more wastewater and provide additional protection to Casco Bay.
In fact, the Portland facility is key to protecting the entire Casco Bay
watershed. Four million tons of septage from private septic systems in Naples,
Casco, Bridgton, Yarmouth and others are received for treatment every year.
Yes, Maine's largest wastewater treatment facility is working efficiently and
effectively to keep our water clean, safe and healthy. You can even see that for
yourself, because right around the corner from the facility is Portland's East
End Beach, which is once again safe for swimming and boating. And just on the
other side of the Eastern Prom, Back Cove has become a popular place for
exercise and recreation.
Population Served: 17,000
Flow (millions of gallons per day):
Average: 4.54
Peak Flow: 15.7
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The Portland Water District relies on wastewater treatment facilities in
Westbrook to improve the quality of water in the Presumpscot River. We also
advise and inspect businesses and manufacturers that could discharge industrial
wastes into the River. Our goal, of course, is to make sure industries capture
the waste they create before it poses a problem.
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Just as the Portland Water District is committed to keeping Casco Bay as clean
as possible, we're committed to keeping wastewater pollutants out of the
Presumpscot River. Our facilities include 12 pumping stations which serve areas
of Gorham and Westbrook. These stations collect wastewater and pump it to the
Westbrook Wastewater Treatment Facility. Thanks to the efficiency and
effectiveness of the Westbrook treatment system, the Presumpscot River is
regaining its ecological health.
Population Served: 3,100
Flow (millions of gallons per day):
Average: 0.52
Peak Flow: 1.70
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Sludge extracted from Cape Elizabeth's wastewater is trucked to Portland for dewatering and final treatment.
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Because we live on the shores of one of Maine's most beautiful bays,
wastewater treatment is a serious concern for communities of all sizes. Treating
wastewater in Cape Elizabeth is just as important as treating the city of
Portland's waste. That's why the Portland Water District designed and built a
new facility in 1987, along with 11 pumping station, for the southern and
central parts of Cape Elizabeth. (We collect wastewater from the northern part
of town and pump it to South Portland for treatment.) Although each of PWD's
five treatment facilities is slightly different, all accomplish the same task:
cleaning waste from water that will be recycled into our environment.
Population Served: 600
Flow (millions of gallons per day):
Average: 0.040
Peak Flow: 0.08
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The Little Falls facility prevents wastewater discharges in the Presumpscot River.
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With one pumping station in Gorham and two in Windham, the Little Falls
facility is able to serve ecologically sensitive areas along the Presumpscot
River. At one time, faulty private septic systems and direct discharges into the
river resulted in dangerously high bacterial counts, which also contributed to
contamination down river. The Little Falls facility has solved these problems.
Biosolids from Little Falls are trucked to Westbrook for dewatering and
treatment.
Population Served: 500
Flow (millions of gallons per day):
Average: 0.20
Peak Flow: 0.61
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The Peaks Island Wastewater Treatment Facility received three awards for engineering excellence, one from the Association of American Consulting Engineers and two from Consulting Engineers of Maine.
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Treating wastewater on Peaks Island became easier and more efficient once the
sanitary and storm sewers were separated. Wastewater is now confined to the
sanitary system, and there is decreased risk of overflows occurring because of
additional volume of water entering the system after heavy rains. With
completion of sewers on Island Avenue and Welch Street and the addition of
sewers at Torrington Point, overboard discharges of wastewater into Casco Bay
will be practically eliminated. Nothing is more important on an island than
clean water and a clean environment, and the PWD is doing its part to assure
both on Peaks Island.
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