The Lincoln Water District Office is located at 3 Taylor St. and the town's water supply is a ground water aquifer that currently supplies all of the Municipal water needs of the town of Lincoln and Howland. The location of the Esker Aquifer is in South Lincoln and is part of a major glacial stream deposit that extends in a North/South direction through the most southern part of the town of Lincoln. The District operates and maintains 4 gravel packed wells in the Aquifer. This water source has been in use since the Fall of 1961, and feed 27 miles of water distribution mains, supplying 129 public fire hydrants, 28 private fire services, and 1500 water service connections. The District average daily pumping rate is 850,000 gallons per day (G.P.D.) In the event of a power failure, water pressure and flow would be maintained by two 500,000 gallon standpipes located at the top of Pinkham Street and one 500,000 gallon underground concrete tank located off the Transalpine Road on Fish Hill.

 

The water source from the gravel packed well is pumped directly into the distribution system with no filtration or chemicals added, since the quality of the water is such that disinfection of the source water at the wells is not needed.

 

The District's operating reserve account shows that the District Revenues increased by $41,565.00 or 8.38%. The increase was mainly due to increased revenues from the Lincoln Paper & Tissue Mill.

 

The Lincoln Mill revenues were up because of the increase in production of the tissue side of the mill. The new owners of the mill are doing very well and are going to increase production in the amount of tissue that is produced by installing an additional tissue machine to help take care of their back log of tissue orders.

 

At present, the Lincoln Paper & Tissue Mill are using 366 gallons per minute (G.P.M.) of water from the District. When the new tissue machine is in operation, the mill is going to need additional water to operate. The mill engineers have said that the mill will need up to 500 G.P.M. of water to operate. If this is so, the District will receive an additional $3600.00 of revenue per month when the mill completes its expansion projects.

 

The District had Layne Christenson Company from Dracut, Massachusetts pull the number 4 pump from the well to repair and clean the pump because of a vibration.

The pump at station #2 was also pulled to repair a pump vibration.

The well at station #2 was also cleaned and inspected. It was found that both the pump and well were in very good condition. The last time any work was done on the number 2 well and pump was 38 years ago.

 

The District repaired 5 water main leaks that was mainly water main joint failure.

 

The Districts total operations and maintenance increased in 2005 by $49,673.00, or 13.4% due to the cost of operations and supplies.

 

Meter activity was lower in 2005 than expected because of higher than normal well and pump maintenance and man hours was not available. Only the meters that needed replacement or repaired received attention.

 

The District replaced one hydrant that was leaking from a break in the hydrant bottom.

 

The District repaired 11 services mainly because of broken service rods or service boxes were bent.

 

The District did not have any additional new services. New service activity over the past few years has been very light.

 

The domestic 4" water line and the 6" sprinkler line was relocated at the Penobscot Valley Hospital because of a conflict in their new expansion plans.

 

At present no new services are planned for 2006.

 

The District Trustees have been considering increasing the size of the water main to the Lincoln Paper and Tissue Mill to give more G.P.M. to the mill when their new tissue is installed and in operation.

The 6" water main on Katahdin Avenue is at flow capacity with the mill drawing 366 G.P.M. With this large draw by the mill there is not  much left for fire flows.

 

The District has two outstanding long-term debts as follows:

(1).   A debt in the amount of $306, 398.00 at 7.66%

         Maturity in 2016

(2).   A debt in the amount of $198,000.00 at 4.5%

         Maturity in 2014

 

The Districts cash flow with the increased revenue form Lincoln Paper and Tissue's Mill will keep the District's operations and maintenance accounts at a funded level without a revenue rate increase for 2006.

 

This report is only a summary of our activities during the past year. If you have questions about this report or your water service in general, please call the District Office at 207-794-2921 or you may attend a Board of Trustees Meeting that is open to the public, that are typically held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 P.M.

 

In closing, I wish to thank the District's Trustees, its Employees and Customers for their support in the past year. I wish also to thank the Employees of the Town of Lincoln for their help and concern at our most trying times to maintain service to our water customers.

 

Respectfully Submitted

 

Ronald R. Gray,

Superintendent

Lincoln Water District