Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Drinking Water And PFAS topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hallowell water district reports PFAS spike; filtration plant planned and regional utility seeks $15M pipeline funding
Summary
Local water officials told the council that recent PFAS tests rose to about 30.8 parts per trillion, outlined a treatment timetable with bids expected in mid‑2026 and an operational filtration plant targeted for early 2028, and said funding is a mix of grants and low‑interest loans. A neighboring utility also briefed the council on a $15 million pump/pipeline project and PFAS sludge disposal plans.
Hallowell water officials told the City Council that recent tests show PFAS levels in the local supply have risen to about 30.8 parts per trillion and that a filtration plant remains on a multiyear schedule to reduce those contaminants.
Zach (Hallowell Water District) said the latest spike — "the last test was 30.8 parts per trillion," — is likely linked to seasonal hydrology and drought: with less groundwater recharge, the district is drawing a larger fraction of water from the Kennebec River, which carries higher PFAS concentrations. He said the district is in final design, expects plans to be ready for bid in June–July 2026, and is aiming for a filtration plant online by early 2028.
The presentation included program details and financing: the project budget described to the council totaled about $10.2 million, of which roughly $6.2 million is grant money, about $4.0 million is additional grant support or forgiveness, and a small SRF loan component remains. "We are 100% funded right now: $6.2M is grant money," the district representative told the council while noting some rate impact is expected when new bonds come due and capital projects resume.
District staff also described interim measures. The filtered public spigot program continues; staff defended a suggested 5‑gallon guidance as a public‑safety precaution and said testing at the spigot has shown no PFAS breakthrough after tens of thousands of gallons treated. Testing costs for state‑certified PFAS analysis were described as approximately $550 per test.
Councilors asked for more accessible data for the public; water staff said a PFAS graph is published on the water district website and invited the council and residents to a dedicated public meeting about PFAS treatment scheduled for March 11.
At an earlier point in the meeting the Greater Augusta Utility District also briefed the council about wastewater operations, sludge handling and a proposed pump/pipeline consolidation estimated at about $15,000,000. The utility said PFAS‑impacted sludge is being handled under contract with Waste Management and that the district plans to seek congressionally directed spending and has been in touch with Senator Collins' office to explore funding avenues.
The council did not take any formal action on the utilities presentations; staff said next steps include continued public outreach, posting test results, and proceeding through design and funding milestones for the filtration plant and wastewater projects.
