Scarborough Sanitary District reviews force main repair, approves retail project

The Scarborough Sanitary District board held its regular monthly meeting on Sept. 24, 2026, hearing a superintendent's report on an August force main break on the Eastern Trail that was repaired the same day. Trustees approved a wastewater allocation for a 4,000-square-foot retail and bank building at 72 Market Street and approved the eight-month budget summary.

Key points

• Trustees approved a 250-gallon-per-day wastewater allocation for a 4,000-square-foot retail and bank building at 72 Market Street in the Downs Town Center, with a capacity reserve fee of $5,215.
• The board approved the eight-month budget summary with no opposition.
• Superintendent Dave Hughes reported that an Aug. 27 force main break on the Eastern Trail near Pine Point Road was caused by trap rock puncturing the pipe and was repaired with a stainless steel wrap by about 7 p.m. that day.
• Hughes reported the district closed on the purchase of 24 Champion Street and will bid out demolition of the existing building; the first proposal for secondary clarifier equipment came in at about $800,000 against a $600,000 budget, with two more proposals pending.
• Hughes reported the district saved $12,735 in the second quarter through the Green Mile solar farm partnership, and that a Sept. 9 bacterial limit exceedance was likely caused by nitrite interference with disinfection.
• Resident Matt Garrett, a candidate for a board seat, thanked the board and staff and said Hughes had shown him around the plant.

Next steps

• The district will seek two more proposals for secondary clarifier equipment and will trace the collection system for high-strength loads once the pilot study ends.
• Hughes will meet school department officials at the Middle School on Oct. 7 to investigate high water use, possibly a leaking cooling tower.
• The district will bid out demolition of the building at 24 Champion Street.

Read the full transcript