Excess nitrogen in our coastal waters can lead to harmful algal blooms, slime-covered coves, and more acidic conditions, all of which stress our coastal critters. Where does it come from? Sewage, animal waste, fertilizers, rainwater, snowmelt, and air pollution.
What we flush down the toilets of 65,000 Portland residents, as well as what is flushed through visitor and commercial facilities, passes through the sewage treatment plant that the Portland Water District manages. That treated effluent is a major source of excess nitrogen to Casco Bay.
With a $12 million upgrade to the East End Wastewater Treatment Facility, the Portland Water District aims to reduce nitrogen in effluent water by 20-40% within five years. This effort may prevent 500 to 1,000 pounds of nitrogen from getting into Casco Bay each day.
Casco Baykeeper Ivy Frignoca and Scott Firmin, Portland Water District’s Director of Wastewater Services, worked diligently for nearly a year on an agreement to reduce nitrogen in the treated wastewater from the East End wastewater treatment plant. The Maine Department of Environmental Protection incorporated their recommendations into a five-year wastewater discharge permit it recently issued for the East End facility.
The Portland Water District plans to:
- Work toward major reductions in nitrogen in the treated wastewater it releases into Casco Bay
- Test nitrogen levels in its effluent weekly to measure progress toward meeting the goal of a 20-40% reduction within five years
- Collaborate with the City of Portland and other stakeholders in a coordinated effort to reduce nitrogen pollution from multiple sources
“We applaud the Portland Water District for its forward-thinking approach that may serve as a model for other Maine communities,” says Ivy. “But we still need folks to pick up pet wastes and stop using fertilizers. Those individual efforts help keep nitrogen pollution from getting into Casco Bay. What each of us does to help the Bay does make a difference!”
