Officials in Lewiston and Auburn have announced a new $30 million project to help guard against future flood-related pollution and improve water quality in the Androscoggin River.

The Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority announced the start of construction on the new project on Wednesday. The plan, according to the announcement, is to expand the authority’s treatment capacity. 

The project will also help prevent contaminants from getting into the Androscoggin River, especially during severe weather events like the storms that struck the area in December 2023 and January 2024.

“This is one of the most important projects of its kind in the state of Maine right now,” said Michael Riley, senior environmental engineer at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. “The first inch of rain from a storm carries 80% of the pollution, so to be able to prevent that from entering Maine’s waterways is critical for the protection of public health and our natural resources.” 

The authority estimates the project, paid for by state, federal and municipal grants and bonds, will expand treatment capacity by 20% to 38 million gallons per day. The project will also build a 2.1 million-gallon tank to handle “combined sewer overflow.” In layman’s terms, the tank will help prevent untreated water from bypassing treatment and ending up in the river during heavy weather.

In 2023, according to the authority, “rain events” caused 112 million gallons of untreated water and sewage to go into the Androscoggin River alone. A statewide DEP report found in 2023 that raw water pollution of Maine’s waterbodies went up 244% compared to 2022.

“Storm events brought a record 57 inches of rain in 2023, and the impact caused water quality issues and closures at beaches and fishing sites statewide,” the authority noted in its announcement.

The new project builds on 50 years of work to improve water quality in the Androscoggin River, which was once listed among the 10 most polluted rivers in the US. 

“The renaissance of the Androscoggin has united us,” said Ferg Lea of the Androscoggin River Watershed Council. “All the communities along the banks of the river will benefit from the economic and residential resurgence that’s underway. This is reflected by our recent increase in jobs, population and business growth.”

The construction work is expected to be finished by early 2026.