Hydro International to Treat CSO Flows in Maine City

Hydro International, a provider of environmentally sustainable products and solutions that control and treat storm water, wastewater and combined sewer overflows, announced that it has been chosen by the Town of Bucksport, Maine, to supply a Storm King Overflow unit to treat the combined sewer and storm water overflows that occur during heavy rainstorms.

The deal marks the first time a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) treatment unit using advanced vortex technology will be installed remotely – away from a central wastewater treatment plant – in the state of Maine. Treating the flow remotely will remove the pollutants to meet the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) water quality standards and save the town the expense of having to pump the flows a long distance and upgrade sewer lines along the way.

The Town of Bucksport, located along the Maine coast just south of Bangor, is undertaking its CSO treatment project to comply with state and federal orders to improve the cleanliness of the flows discharging into the Penobscot River. The $2.9 million project includes the costs of engineering services, purchases of property and demolition of buildings. The Hydro International equipment accounts for about 10 percent of the project’s costs.

“We needed a solution that improved the treatment of CSO discharges to Maine DEP specifications and, at the same time, came at a reasonable cost to taxpayers,” said Bucksport Mayor Jeff Robinson.

The federal government has issued longstanding orders to many Maine communities to deal with the environmental effects of Combined Sewer Overflows. Some communities are opting to separate their storm water and wastewater sewers, at a high cost, while others are treating the flows at a much lower cost. A number of Maine cities, including Portland, Machias, Indian Township, Presque Isle, Calais, Ellsworth, Limestone, Loring and Caribou, are currently considering solutions to address the issue.

Source: Hydro International