Outreach
The Portland Water District’s outreach initiatives engage the public through a variety of platforms. We aim to inform and inspire a variety of audiences with the goal of long-term environmental stewardship. Our outreach efforts in the Sebago Lake Watershed and PWD service area (see eligibility map on left) involve collaborations with many partners.
Water Connections Events
This seasonal recreation event series connects Sebago Lake Watershed residents and our customers to resources that affect the Lake’s water quality. Each event allows participants to learn about water quality and our lake protection programs while visiting one of the many trails, forests, mountains, or rivers that influence Sebago Lake.
Water Connections: Snowshoe Sebago Lake’s Protective Zones
Postponed to Friday, March 10
Have you ever wondered why you can launch a boat or fish in the Lower Bay of Sebago Lake but swimming is not permitted? Did you know Lower Bay contains two zones for drinking water quality protection? Learn all about protections for drinking water quality while enjoying a guided snowshoe trek with Portland Water District staff. We will snowshoe through a portion of the Sebago Lake Land Reserve and right onto Sebago Lake, safe ice conditions permitting!
The roughly 3-mile roundtrip trek is moderate, dependent upon new snowfall, and features gradual gentle inclines. Participants should bring their own gear. Limited pairs of snowshoes are available upon request. Event is subject to weather conditions. Register in advance by Wednesday, March 8.
Postponed Date: Friday, March 10
Time: 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: Sebago Lake Land Reserve – southeast shore, Standish (location information provided to registrants via email prior to the event)
Registration required by March 8.
Register online or call 774-5961 x 3320
Drinking Water Week
Celebrate the vital role water plays in your life! We coordinate diverse events the first week each May. Our initiatives are designed to engage our customers with various aspects of their drinking water, ranging from protection and conservation to treatment, testing, and distribution.
Source Protection Video Series: Protecting a Trillion Gallons of Water
Learn about our source protection programs in this video series. The first short video, which debuted in May 2018 as part of our Drinking Water Week celebration, provides an introduction to the series highlighting programs all designed to protect your drinking water! Subsequent videos cover different aspects of our source protection programs.
Water Quality Monitoring: Part 3
Environmental Education, WaterWays: Part 4
Zones of Protection for Drinking Water: Part 7
Introducing the Sebago Lake to Casco Bay Calendar
The Portland Water District draws water from Sebago Lake, disinfects it, and distributes it to hundreds of thousands of faucets. Then, we collect, treat, and return clean water into the Presumpscot River or Casco Bay. Our job is to be the stewards of each of these water droplets as they travel from Sebago Lake to Casco Bay.
Starting in 2024, that’s going to be the theme of our annual calendar. Our popular Images of Sebago Lake calendar will transition to the Sebago Lake to Casco Bay calendar. Don’t worry, we still want to include your beautiful photos of Sebago Lake, but we are also inviting scenic photographs of the Presumpscot River and Casco Bay.
Please send us photos of:
Sebago Lake Region
Please continue to submit photos of Sebago Lake and the tributaries that drain to it. Photos must contain the lake or one of the tributaries in the photo.
Presumpscot River
The Presumpscot River is the outlet of Sebago Lake and also the receiving river of the Westbrook/Gorham Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, so we are committed to helping keep it clean. Scenic photos must include the river.
Casco Bay
PWD is also committed to helping to keep Casco Bay clean. Casco Bay receives water from the East End Wastewater Treatment Facility, as well as facilities on Peaks Island and in Cape Elizabeth. Please submit photos of Casco Bay in the Portland Water District service area of Falmouth, Cumberland, Portland (including the islands), South Portland, and Cape Elizabeth. Scenic photos must include water.
Located in Standish across from Sebago Lake, the Sebago Lake Protection Office houses our water resources, education, and security staff. The office is open from 8:00 a.m. -4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). To learn more about Office resources, click on the link above.
Sebago Lake Land Reserve
The 1700-acre Land Reserve, located in Standish and Gorham, is open to the public for passive recreation. The largest contiguous parcel boasts over 13 miles of well-maintained, wooded trails. Click on the link above for more information, including a trail map, permitted activities, and kiosk locations.
Publications
We provide a plethora of publications relating to both our source protection initiatives and the Portland Water District. Click the link above to browse our list.
Source Protection Efforts
We regularly work with the public to protect the water quality of Sebago Lake. Visit the Watershed Protection section of our website to learn more about technical support, LakeScaping grants, our Watershed Land Conservation Program, and more!
Connect with us!
- We email information about our outreach initiatives to a secure email list. If you’d like to add your email address, send your request to sebagolake@pwd.org.
- Keep up-to-date by liking the PWD Facebook page
- We are open to new, creative ideas and partnerships. Email sebagolake@pwd.org to connect!
