System Facts

Communities Served: Waterville, Winslow, Fairfield, Vassalboro, Benton (water also wholesaled to Maine Water Company in Oakland)

Population Served: 22,500

Ownership: Quasi-municipal

Personnel: 28

Cost to customer per 100 cubic feet (748 gallons): $2.00 (as of 2023)

Price per gallon: $0.0027 (as of 2023)

Funding Sources for Operations: User fees though rates

Fiscal year: January 1 to December 31

Total water revenues: $5,620,207 (2018)

Number of pumping stations: 4

Number of water storage facilities: 6

Number of hydrants: 634

Number of active services: ~8,700

Miles of main: ~172

Sizes of main: 2″ – 36″

Storage facility capacity: 14.9 million gallons total

2nd Rangeway Tank: 0.90 million gallons – Steel

Ridge Road Reservoir Tanks (2): 6.0 million gallons each – Concrete

Treatment Plant Clearwells (2):  1 million gallons each – Concrete

Watershed Lands: 32 square miles

Raw Water Source: China Lake

China Lake capacity: 31.7 billion gallons

China Lake surface area: 6.1 square miles

Maximum/mean depth: 85 feet/ 28 feet

Annual flushing rate: ~30%

Average yearly precipitation: 43 inches

Average yearly KWD demand: ~1 billion gallons

Average daily KWD demand: ~3 million gallons per day

Treatment plant operations began: August 1993

Control system used: SCADA

Chemicals used: Aluminum Sulfate; Cationic polymer; Sodium hypochlorite; Hydrofluosilicic acid; Polyphosphate; Sodium hydroxide

Clarification process: Upflow – solids – contact

Filtration process: Conventional high rate

Filter media: Granular activated carbon, Sand

Disinfectant: Sodium Hypochlorite

Disinfection application: Post filtration

Sludge collection method: Recycle lagoon

Sludge dewatering method: Air dry and freeze/thaw

Sludge disposal method: Landfill