BRUNSWICK

Since the 2011 closure of the Brunswick Naval Air Station, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority has maintained utilities there.

The sewer infrastructure, however, needed upgrades before the Brunswick Sewer District could take control of the system there, which they voted to do last week. Unlike past rounds of base closures, the federal government didn’t kick in any money for utility upgrades, Brunswick Sewer District General Manager Leonard Blanchette said.

Fortunately, the Navy had worked on its sewer pipes in the 1990s to reduce infiltration of groundwater, cutting the 500,000 gallons of wastewater a day it sent to the sewer district in half. Still, in recent years, an average of 50 to 80 percent of the total flow of water going through the flow meter was not wastewater.

While the sewer district was open to taking over the main sewer lines, it first required MRRA to upgrade the system so its ratepayers wouldn’t have to fund the work.

Redevelopment director Steve Levesque said the authority made close to $1 million in improvements to the sewer distribution system, and will make another estimated $1.3 million in improvements to the seven pump stations. MRRA received a $650,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration for this work. The sewer district will take over the pumps as well once they are upgraded.

Blanchette said the sewer mainlines at Brunswick Landing are now up to sewer district standards. In June, the flow averaged 140,000 gallons per day. In May, only 38 percent of the flow from the former base was not wastewater.

As a result of the transfer, Blanchette said ratepayers at Brunswick Landing will pay a lower rate, since MRRA had to set a higher rate than it paid to fund improvements to the system.

In addition, developers doing new construction will need to pay an entrance charge to tie into the system.