KENNEBUNK — Kennebunk voters chose Tuesday to change the debt limit of the Kennebunk Sewer District from $30 million to $55 million, a decision that clears the way for the district to spend an estimated $25 million to upgrade its facility.
Kennebunk voters chose Tuesday to change the debt limit of the Kennebunk Sewer District from $30 million to $55 million, a decision that clears the way for the district to spend an estimated $25 million to upgrade its facility. File photo
A total of 1,728 voters cast ballots in favor of the change, and 1,037 voters cast their ballots against it.
“The current debt limit in our charter does not allow us to stay in compliance with future permits. The new proposed debt limit will allow us to complete the final upgrades needed to our wastewater treatment facility while staying in compliance with permits, our charter, and state law,” the Kennebunk Sewer District wrote in a resource released ahead of Election Day.
The Kennebunk Sewer District fulfills the sanitary sewer needs for Kennebunk. Its wastewater collection system includes more than 40 miles of sewers and nearly 30 pumping stations.
The debt limit increase will allow the district to begin constructing a new biological treatment process that will replace the outdated system. The new system is called a “4-stage bardenpho” in industry lingo. It will replace a “rotating biological contactor” system.
Speaking in an interview ahead of the election, Chris Gallant, assistant manager of the Kennebunk Sewer District, said that without the increased debt limit, the current biological treatment process could fail. “Non-compliance of the permit can result in penalties from Maine (Department of Energy and Protection),” he said.
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