Approximately $25 less on 2019 bills

Maine Water to credit Midcoast customers following land trust transaction

Mon, 01/14/2019 - 9:00pm

    Maine Water Company said it will apply a credit to water bills for customers in its Camden-Rockland division, which serves customers in Rockland, Rockport, Camden, Thomaston, Owls Head, Union and Warren.  A typical residential customer will save a total of $25 in 2019 on their water bills, the Saco-based company said Jan. 14.

    All customers will benefit from a credit of 6.74 percent on their regular water bill starting on January 15 and continuing through the year 2019, including residential, commercial, industrial and fire protection accounts.

    This customer credit, totaling $435,000, is possible as a result of the recent sale of a conservation easement covering watershed land around Mirror Lake and Ragged Mountain to the Coastal Mountains Land Trust, Maine Water said, in a news release.

    Read about the 2016 agreement: Maine Water Co., Coastal Mountains Land Trust seal a deal for outdoor recreation, conservation

    The plan to credit 50 percent of the net proceeds of the sale of the conservation easement to customers was approved by the Maine Public Utilities Commission and the Maine Office of Public Advocate.  Maine Water Company is reinvesting the remaining proceeds from the transaction in the Camden Rockland water system through infrastructure replacement projects.

    “At Maine Water, we recognize our responsibility to be stewards of the water resources we rely on to deliver high quality water service to families and communities,” stated Maine Water president, Rick Knowlton, in the release.  “We also know we must continuously seek ways to mitigate costs for our customers. Our partnership with Coastal Mountain Land Trust is a unique opportunity to provide permanent protections for critical water resources and open space land, at the same time, create a savings for our water customers in that system. We are very pleased to share the benefits of the transaction through this billing credit with the customers of our Camden Rockland system.”

    The Mirror Lake Conservation Easement is the keystone project of the Round the Mountain Collaboration, the Land Trust’s partnership with the Maine Water Company, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, local municipalities, and numerous local outdoor recreation groups. The easement guarantees that the land will be available for broad public access for hiking, mountain biking, running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and hunting via the new Round the Mountain Trail and the existing Georges Highland Path. You can read more about Maine Water’s partnership with Coastal Mountains Land Trust here.