CAMDEN, Maine — Camden's harbor is a popular spot for many tourists and Mainers, but residents like Louisa Crane have been hesitant to take a dip in the bay.
"It's beautiful, but I think it's just not the first place people think to go swimming," Crane said.
Residents said this hesitation comes from a rise in wastewater leaking into the harbor from the town's more than 50-year-old wastewater treatment facilities.
"We were at a point where if equipment broke down at the plant, they were sourcing spare parts on eBay, so that was not a sustainable solution for us at all," Town Manager Audra Caler said.
With the addition of several upgrades to the facilities made possible through $13.9 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, officials hope to prevent further wastewater leakage into the scenic harbor.
"It really affects the quality of the water going out and allows us to keep the plant running more efficiently," Camden Wastewater Treatment Facility Director Sheldon Main said.
Additions like a new monitoring system will allow workers to see the status of each component of the plants, making it much easier to effectively diagnose issues without even having to be at the facilities.
"Before this upgrade, someone would come in on the weekends and make sure that everything was OK, and then they would leave for the day in the hopes it stayed OK," Main said.
But now?
"There's more alerts. We can look at home and see that everything is just as we left it or if we need to make any changes," Main said.
Upgrades to the plant's dewatering system will also reduce the amount of sewage sludge produced by the plant while the relocation of sewage pipes previously underneath the harbor will prevent further leakage.
"The system has made many improvements to just the process overall, and it's really going to have an environmental benefit for the community for years to come," Caler said.
Something Crane said is already making her feel safer.
"I'm excited to just know our system is modern and functioning and helping keep our harbor clean," Crane said.
The treatment facility says its next steps are slowly replacing and reinforcing sewage pipes throughout the town.