Regional Biosolids Management Facility
A regional Maine solution for reliable wastewater service and environmental protection
Portland Water District is advancing plans for a regional Biosolids Management Facility to help address the long-term disposal challenges facing wastewater utilities in Maine.
The facility is currently planned for ecomaine’s ashfill property off County Road in Westbrook. It would be designed to receive biosolids from Portland Water District and participating wastewater utilities throughout southern Maine and potentially elsewhere in the state.
The project is intended to provide a reliable, environmentally responsible, and more stable long-term approach to biosolids management.
What the Facility Would Do
Project Status and Updates
June 25, 2026
PWD’s Board of Trustees has approved moving ahead with the preliminary-design phase of the project. The project team has initiated a process to select a Progressive Design-Build-Operate team. Preliminary design is expected to begin in late 2026. As the project progresses, PWD will share updates on design, permitting, project costs, public meetings, and opportunities for community input.
Protecting Nearby Communities
PWD recognizes that a regional facility must be designed and operated with care for surrounding communities.
The project will include advanced treatment systems intended to control air emissions and prevent nuisance odors. Environmental safeguards, traffic considerations, regulatory requirements, and community input will be important parts of preliminary design and future project phases.
Managing PFAS
PFAS are a group of widely used chemicals that can enter wastewater systems from homes, businesses, and industrial sources. Because PFAS can be found in municipal biosolids, PFAS management is a central part of this project.
The facility is being planned to capture, isolate, and remove PFAS from the facility’s liquid waste streams and landfill leachate before those liquids are returned to Portland Water District’s wastewater treatment system for further treatment and permitted discharge.
This approach is intended to reduce the movement of PFAS through the biosolids management process while supporting a responsible, long-term disposal strategy.
A Phased Strategy
A Proven Leader
The Portland Water District is well-positioned to lead this effort with over a century of experience managing complex water and wastewater systems and advancing solutions. Portland Water District is leading the way—actively advancing solutions and sponsoring national research with the Water Environment Federation to accelerate the development of effective biosolids and PFAS treatment technologies.
The Portland Water District initiated a long-term biosolids management plan in 2021 and has since engaged a firm to advance planning and design of a regional facility. The cost of this conceptual design is expected to be $1.5 million.