South Portland, ME: Stormwater
September 2023 - April 2024
Willard Beach, South Portland
Community Description
The City of South Portland, Maine, is a coastal city in Cumberland County with a population of approximately 26,000 residents. The city is relatively affluent, with only 6% of residents living below the national poverty level and a median household income of $73,899. The project area centers on the watershed that drains to Willard Beach—a vital natural asset for the city that supports both economic activity and recreational use by both residents and non-residents.
Project Scope
In 2023, stormwater monitoring detected elevated levels of enterococcus bacteria, with particularly high concentrations traced to a single stormwater outfall at Willard Beach. EPIC staff supported the City in characterizing the source of contamination and preparing a funding application to help mitigate impacts to the beach and surrounding watershed.
Services Provided
After the City detected elevated bacteriological contamination at the Willard Beach stormwater outfall, City staff requested assistance through the EPA WaterTA portal, which paired the City with EPIC. Upon project initiation, EPIC staff began collecting data on existing wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and reviewed historical bacteriological sampling results from the outfall. Following a site visit with the City’s stormwater management team, the likely source of contamination was identified by staff as cross-connections between aging, unlined, and co-located wastewater and stormwater collection systems. Inspection data indicated that the infrastructure was structurally sound and suitable for relining. EPIC used linear cost estimates from the City’s existing wastewater collection system relining contract to approximate repair costs for the stormwater system.
EPIC then worked with the City to develop a Stormwater and Nonpoint Source Management Plan grant application to the State of Maine’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). The CWSRF program awarded $33,000 to support both stormwater system relining and follow-up water quality sampling.
Challenges and Opportunities
| Type of Challenge | Project Experience | Outcomes and/or Opportunities |
|---|---|---|
| Labor/Workforce | Staff capacity was constrained to identify and draft a funding application for system repairs. | Knowledge and skilled staffing for capital planning for a diversity of project types for a City of this size might best be located within a public works department. |
| Financial | Lack of City budgeted expenditure for stormwater system maintenance or capital project. | Propose a 10-year operational plan for stormwater asset budget allocation and/or dedicated revenue source for both capital and operational expenses. |
| Financial | No current or ongoing debt service mechanism with the CWSRF to conduct capital projects. Timing and capacity to take on debt service was not tenable. | Conduct a larger stormwater asset condition inspection to identify capital projects that could be proactively incorporated into the CWSRF. |
Project Next Steps
Upon being notified of the CWSRF award, the City will still need to retain bond counsel and will likely need to authorize these additional actions at the direction of their local elected officials. While the opportunity for the non-point source award was timely in relation to the need of the project, stormwater infrastructure maintenance does require dedicated revenue and staffing. While there is hope that the proposed relining solution will mitigate the immediate impacts, there are many unknowns remaining with regards to future conditions. Lateral wastewater connections in the project area - an older neighborhood - are made of vitrified clay, and these lateral connections may also be impacting shallow groundwater quality and any permeable stormwater conveyance systems.
Given the City’s limited capacity to undertake capital-intensive stormwater projects, it may be worthwhile to explore regionalization options. A regional stormwater authority could help build the capacity to acquire equipment, retain specialized staff, and manage infrastructure across jurisdictional boundaries—preserving shared regional assets such as beaches, streams, parks, and stormwater systems.