The Lewiston-Auburn (Maine) Water Pollution Control Authority (LAWPCA) introduced Methuen Construction as the General Contractor for LAWPCA’s new Anaerobic Digestion Facility at the official groundbreaking ceremony on November 10th at their Lincoln Street location in Lewiston.  The facility's job is to reduce the amount of solids LAWPCA's water treatment plant has to handle. Methuen Construction is installing a system that uses anaerobic micro-organisms and heat to digest the solid materials left behind by sewage treatment.  This reduces solid waste volume by 40 percent, a savings of $600,000 per year. The process creates methane gas as a byproduct, which can be burned to generate up to 150 kilowatts of electricity per month,  a savings of $15,000 to $20,000 per month for the LAWPCA.   However, this project has a much greater importance to the “Twin Cities” area than just from a cost-savings standpoint, there is a very important environmental element as well. 

The LAWPCA was created in 1967 primarily to clean-up the Androscoggin River, which was widely known at the time as one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the United States.  Due to the efforts of the LAWPCA, the Androscoggin has become a major draw for both tourists and Maine residents. Kayakers and canoeists now flock to the river to enjoy the clean, fast-moving waters, while anglers reel in bass and trout that were virtually non-existent in 1967.  Methuen Construction is proud to be involved in this environmental protection project that continues the mission of the LAWPCA.