Wastewater investment in Oxford, Maine

摘要

More than 21 million households across the country are not connected to a public sewer. Instead, they rely predominately on private septic systems to treat and dispose of their wastewater. While these simple systems are common in many rural New England communities, over time they can threaten an area's economic growth and environmental integrity. However, building an entire sewer system from the ground up requires an investment that many rural communities simply cannot afford. Treatment facilities alone can cost several million dollars, which doesn't account for the collection systems, pump stations, and disposal facilities needed to make systems fully functional. Yet, through creative funding, design ingenuity, and meticulous planning, a small, rural town in Maine built a state-of-the-art wastewater system with the capacity to support their growing community and natural environment for decades to come.