History of Bayside Utilities

Water: Water needs of the village were originally met by dug wells throughout the village, and then by the Northport Mountain Spring Company, organized in the 1890’s, that brought spring water to an open reservoir on Bluff Road.  As the village needs grew, water supply became scant in peak months and surface pipes fell into disrepair.  The NVC purchased the Water Company in 1980 and worked to improve water supply and quality, first with new wells, and eventually by connecting an 8-inch water main to the Belfast Water District at Little River in 1993.  The quality and supply of water from the Belfast Water District are excellent and most of the Village is now served by deep water mains.  Water must be turned off to seasonal houses to prevent freezing in the winter.  There are currently (as of 2021) about 382 water customers.

Wastewater: The original campground design with small closely-placed tent lots did not provide adequate land for individual wastewater treatment systems.  In the late 1800’s sewer lines were dug to replace the Ladies and Gentlemen’s Walks and these were connected to four ocean outfalls (as was typical for seaside seasonal houses all along the Maine Coast).  Treatment of wastewater prior to ocean discharge was mandated by the Federal Clean Water Act of 1975.  The current wastewater treatment system serves about 242 customers (as of 2021), mainly in the core village and along Shore Road.  It was built in 1986 with the help of Federal and State grants.  Wastewater flows by gravity to three trains of septic tanks buried on the waterfront by the Yacht Club.  Solids are settled in these tanks and the effluent is then chlorinated to kill germs and then dechlorinated prior to discharge to the ocean through a 700-foot long discharge pipe.   The Utility must comply with license requirements from the EPA and state DEP. 

The most recent EPA/DEP license renewal had new requirements for year-round (rather than seasonal)) chlorination and dechlorination, necessitating the building of a facility to house the chemical systems and metering apparatus for year-round use.  The building has been completed in 2021.  Despite being only a Primary Treatment Facility (rather than a Secondary Treatment Facility), the NVC plant complies with all the requirements of both Federal and State licenses.