The proposed rate increase of 15 percent, or $26.80 per unit, will now go into effect the first of the year, according to Dan Daigle, a subcontractor for Eric Ward, who holds the contract to manage the sanitary district.

The district is not regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.

Daigle said the annual user fee for 2007 will be $205.32 per single family home, per year, still much lower than other sewer rates in the state.

During the public comment stage for the rate increase, Daigle said only one letter was received and that was in support of the increase.

The rate increase will help repay a loan obtained to upgrade the 30-year-old wastewater treatment and collection system, Daigle said Friday. Because it would be too costly to upgrade the entire system at once, the trustees are making improvements in a piecemeal fashion.

The district borrowed $380,000 from a state revolving loan fund to replace two underground main pumps. The two new replacement pumps will be installed above ground and will be enclosed in a small fiberglass building. Construction is expected to begin next week on the project, according to Daigle.

The lagoon treatment plant serves more than 650 units, which include single dwellings, apartment houses and businesses in Greenville and Moosehead Junction Township. The system is licensed to treat 170,000 gallons of wastewater a day.
"This content originally appeared as a copyrighted article in the Saturday, October 28, 2006 edition of the Bangor Daily NEWS and is used here with permission."