FRENCHVILLE, Maine – The Select Boards of Frenchville and St. Agatha will meet this week to discuss wastewater disposal rates.
The boards will determine what Frenchville will charge St. Agatha next year for the disposal of wastewater treatment material, Frenchville Town Manager David Cyr said.
The 2026 rates for Frenchville wastewater disposal have not yet been set, so it is unclear if residents in either town will see increased costs.
Officials are trying to narrow the gap between what Frenchville actually pays and what St. Agatha chips in. The towns finalized a memorandum of understanding in September 2011 and their first shared wastewater disposal started in November 2012.
A similar arrangement exists in Aroostook County between the Limestone Water and Sewer Department and the Loring Development Authority regarding wastewater processing, Cyr said.
It costs Frenchville $8.70 per 1,000 gallons, Cyr said. Under the current agreement, St. Agatha pays $5.40 per 1,000 gallons.
The meeting will not be a public hearing, but a board meeting between officials in both communities. The wastewater rates will be the only item on the agenda.
“We’re going to sit down and present information to support our claim and see where it goes,” Cyr said.
The towns hold similar meetings each year to explore costs, which have increased slightly over the years. Five years ago, in 2021, St. Agatha paid $4.15 per 1,000 gallons while Frenchville paid $8.30 per 1,000 gallons.
Last year, the Select Boards settled on $8.70 and $5.40 for Frenchville and St. Agatha, respectively. The numbers used to determine the rates lag by one year because the towns prefer to use actual costs compared to the budgeted costs.
“We prefer to use the actuals, even if it’s a year late,” Cyr said.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, at the Frenchville Town Office.
