The former Bridge Academy in Dresden, which is now a library, renewed their permit to discharge into the Eastern River. According to Dresden selectman John Ottum, the library discharges about 500 gallons of wastewater into the river each year, an amount that is considerably less than the average house. It is relatively clean, he said, as the waste is treated and filtered before it goes into the river.
The library has no septic system and not much money to front the costs for one, which Ottum estimates could cost roughly $10,000. Ottum said the library had to apply to get a continuation of their plumbing permit from the state and permitting from the Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection. The library has to renew their permits for discharging waste into the river every five years.
