Town to begin dismantling sewage plant

OXFORD — The town plans to empty the holding tanks at the defunct Robinson Mill sewage treatment plant in the next couple weeks, Town Manager Michael Chammings told selectmen at their September 6 meeting.

Chammings said the Department of Environmental Protection had cleared the project and the town would begin pumping water out of facility.

Solids and sludge that remained in tanks at the facility would be transported to another location, Chammings reported.

According to Chammings, the water has already been tested and is clean, but would be tested again before pumping began. 

Responding to a question from a resident, he said the main tank contained mostly stormwater.

After removing water and remaining solids from the facility, Chammings said it would be broken down and the steel tanks sold for scrap.

The treatment facility is part of the Robinson Mill complex on King Street in Oxford and has been unused since 2009.

The town has wanted to remove the plant for some time, but was waiting for the results of a sewer alternatives study by engineering firm Woodard and Curran. 

The study, published in April, determined that the cost of rehabilitating the aging facility would be equal to building a brand new treatment plant, the option it recommended.

The town is currently negotiating the sale of the Robinson Mill complex to developer Chuck Starbird.

The town foreclosed on the mill in 2009 because of non-payment of taxes and voted to take possession of it after the former owner failed to make a payment on a lien.

At the September 6 meeting, Chammings and Vice Chair Scott Owens told residents that the negotiations were proceeding, but there were a number of issues that needed to be cleared up before the sale could be finalized.

"It's a big old mill with a bunch of big old issues," Chammings said.

"Obviously the town has a dam, it has water rights issues, it has utility issues, it has sewer system issues, it has right-of-way issues for access to the sidewalk," Chammings said.

Owens assured residents the selectmen were making sure the town would be protected when the sale was finalized.

"Before we dispose of it there's a lot of issues; we have to make sure the town is protecting itself ... we're trying to make sure we don't make a mistake," he told residents.