By Jennifer Osborn

ELLSWORTH — The city of Ellsworth intends to build a new wastewater treatment facility instead of renovating its existing plant.

A new plant will cost the city two or three million dollars more than a renovated plant, city officials say.

Hospital Sewage, Storm Drain Pipes Reversed By Jennifer Osborn ELLSWORTH — Last week, Maine Coast Memorial Hospital discovered and remedied a sewer connection mistake.    A pipe for the “sanitary system” for the hospital’s new 20,000-square-foot addition was mistakenly connected to the storm drainage system, according to Doug Jones, the hospital’s president and C.E.O.    “It was just purely a mistake,” Jones said.    The sanitary system handles restroom waste and kitchen waste, Jones said. He described the volume of waste as “extremely low.”    The flow from the sanitary system was going to a filtration pond designed to take impurities out of the storm drainage. The storm drainage was going to the city’s sewage treatment plant.    An odor alerted the hospital staff that something was amiss, Jones said.    Once the mistake was realized, the hospital had crews dig up the connection and hook it to the correct line, he said.    Jones notified the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Ellsworth Code Enforcement Officer Tom Fullam and Mike Harris, wastewater superintendent.    Fullam said that inspections on large projects occur in phases.    That particular inspection occurred about two years ago when the hospital was doing the underground work, Fullam said.    The city is researching who did that particular inspection.    At the time, “there were a lot of different people doing plumbing inspections,” said Fullam, who has worked for the city less than a year.    The problem “was only found as soon as they started using the plumbing, which was just recently,” Fullam said.    On Monday, a “videocam reading” was done of the pipe to ensure it is correctly hooked up to the sewer system, Fullam said.    A tiny videocamera was attached to a tube, which traveled through the pipe to show where it is connected. It has a light attached at the end, Fullam said.    Fullam said that Ellsworth’s sewer ordinance, which is being revised, includes a provision that will help the city catch such mistakes in the future.    “The owner will have to demonstrate that the pipe goes where he says it goes,” Fullam said. This will be proved either by uncovering the connection or by using a videocamera to show the connection.

The City Council Monday voted unanimously without much discussion to look for a site on which to build the new plant.

Councilor Stephen Beathem said that the city is taking a “big step” and that the reasons for building a new plant should be noted.

“The plant has pretty much reached the end of its useful life,” Beathem said. The “prudent” course of action is to build a new facility, he said.

For two or three million dollars over the cost of renovations, Ellsworth would have a new facility that could be expanded in the future, Beathem said.

Councilor Gary Fortier concurred.

Building a new plant would allow Ellsworth to expand its harbor park, which is next to the plant on the Union River waterfront, according to Fortier.

City Manager Stephen Gunty said building a new plant was the consensus of the council at a January workshop detailing the city’s options for dealing with the deteriorating plant.

The cost to upgrade the plant would be approximately $10.5 million, according to a comprehensive plant evaluation by engineering firm Woodard & Curran.

Building a new plant would cost between $12.6 million and $14 million, the study stated.

Ellsworth’s wastewater treatment plant has myriad problems. They include an illegal bypass that has been channeling untreated wastewater into the Union River during storms and other times of high flow.

The plant, which is using 30-year-old technology, has single pieces of equipment that have broken leaving no backup for plant operation while repairs are made, according to Ron Hidu, Woodard & Curran project manager.

In other business, the council voted to authorize Finance Director Michelle Beal to begin the process of securing a $900,000 bond for multiple city projects, including land purchase for the new plant.

The bond also would fund a $375,000 property revaluation project.

The council conditionally approved a draft of the revaluation contract Monday. Gunty and city Tax Assessor Larry Gardner are in final contract negotiations with Vision Appraisal Technology Company.

The city would use $325,000 of the $900,000 bond for site evaluation, legal services, right-of-way issues, soil testing and other preliminary work needed to purchase land for the new plant. Included in the $325,000 sum is about $60,000 to purchase 20-acres of land next to the Ellsworth High School for future needs.

The bond also would fund $200,000 for Ellsworth’s share of the High Street widening project costs, as well as funding the salary of the project liaison.

The Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce has been chosen to serve as project liaison, City Manager Gunty announced at the meeting.

The chamber will communicate news about the widening and serve as a go-between for businesses and the city with the Maine Department of Transportation, Gunty said.