Bangor committee reviews $4,063.45 sewer-abatement request under city ordinance

At the Nov. 17, 2025 Infrastructure Committee meeting, Amanda Smith, director of water quality management, presented a sewer-abatement request stemming from a leaking toilet that caused substantial unintended water use.

Smith told the committee that the city’s ordinance allows abatements for accidental water loss and that any abatement equal to $3,000 or more is brought to the Infrastructure Committee for review and approval. “Any sewer abatement that equals, $3,000 or more and a refund on someone's super bill comes to this committee, for your review and, ultimately, your approval,” Smith said. She explained that private sewers do not have meters, that the city purchases meter readings from the Bangor Water District, and that staff confirmed a repair that stopped the over-usage in this case.

Smith recommended approval of the abatement. The abatement amount presented was $4,063.45. Councilor Fish asked for a motion; a committee member said, “So moved.” The transcript does not record who seconded the motion or the result of a vote.

Smith also noted the city’s policy does not allow abatements for intentional water use such as filling a swimming pool, but residents may use a submetering program to account for outdoor or pool water use if they wish to avoid sewer charges.

Next steps: The item was moved for approval on the record; committee minutes or a subsequent transcript should be checked to confirm the formal vote and outcome because the motion and any vote tally are not contained in the recorded segments.

Note on transcript name variation: the presenter appears in some segments with the name spelled "Amit Smith" and elsewhere as "Amanda Smith"; this article uses "Amanda Smith" (director of water quality management) as the presenter and flags the transcript inconsistency for the official record.