NEIWPCC and Maine’s Joint Environmental Training Coordinating Committee (JETCC) continued 35 years of service to northern Maine water and wastewater operators by hosting the 2025 North Country Convention (NCC). More than 160 environmental professionals gathered at the Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) in Presque Isle for technical sessions, to connect with vendors, and network with their colleagues on April 2-3. The program provided an opportunity for attendees to earn up to 12 training contact hours.
The keynote panel discussed current funding and financing considerations for utility infrastructure projects. Featured panelists included Water Environment Federation President and Saco Water Resource Recovery Division Director Howard Carter; Matt Duff, Water Infrastructure Specialist at the New England Environmental Finance Center; Camden Clark, Environmental Engineer at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection; and Phil Tucker, Superintendent of York Sewer District. The discussion focused on the gap between the need for and availability of funding for utility infrastructure, the importance of outreach to secure community buy-in during infrastructure projects, and the specific financing resources available to utilities when planning their own projects.
The event included more than 20 presentations, including two sessions led by Chuck Kelley of Kelly’s Industrial Electronics, focused on troubleshooting electrical controls. Kelley taught electrical and electronics controls for 27 years before retiring from NMCC and now provides instrumentation and control services to water and wastewater treatment facilities.
Another session, “From Clipboards to Cyborgs: AI, Apps, & Digital Tools for Utility Operations,” was presented by Travis Jones and Ian Mallory of Olver Associates and Chris Cline of Yarmouth Wastewater. Each speaker discussed their use of AI tools in their own projects, which included drafting schedules, reports, and presentation materials and use in technical data collection and analysis as part of a mapping process.
Scott Firmin of the Portland Water District taught fundamentals classes in activated sludge and utility math. Firmin has contributed to JETCC classes for over a decade and brings a practical approach to his teaching, offering different approaches than are typically presented in classes on similar topics. His math class included discussion of how to use math wheels, which provide a visual representation of algebraic formulas and can be more intuitive to use for some learners.
The second day of the conference wrapped up with the opportunity to take a tour of the McCain Foods USA, Inc. wastewater treatment plant in Easton, Maine. The McCain facility processes potatoes from local farms into French fries, tater tots, hash browns, and other products. Their wastewater plant handles all of the process water used in the plant and treats an average of 1.8 million gallons of water per day. More than 20 people participated in the tour.
In addition to classroom sessions, this year’s event offered the opportunity for attendees to participate in a wastewater laboratory track, which provided instruction and hands-on learning on biological oxygen demand, solids analysis, and testing for basic wastewater characteristics like pH and dissolved oxygen. Led by Patrick Wiley, NMCC’s Water Treatment Technology instructor, these sessions allowed lab professionals to discuss their own experiences and learn from each other’s unique perspectives.
The event included a robust tradeshow featuring 25 exhibitor booths with representation of material and equipment suppliers, engineers, laboratories, and service providers. E.J. Prescott sponsored the event at the Diamond level and was represented on the tradeshow floor. Other vendors in attendance included Hayes Group, DLVEWS, Inc., and Clearwater Laboratory. The Maine Water Environment Association’s (MEWEA) Collection System Committee held a cornhole tournament, which was won by Will Eilsworth, American Concrete, and Devon Downs, Olver Associates.
MEWEA also held its spring business meeting during the second day of the Convention and Mars Hill Utility District Superintendent, Robert Lento was presented with the JETCC Hanson Excellence in Management Award during the meeting. Lento has served as superintendent since 2009 and led the development of a new ground water source during a drought in 2020 that left the surface water supply nearly dry. He was selected to recognize his leadership, in addition to his ongoing commitment to his community as part of both his professional and personal life.
The convention was coordinated by NEIWPCC and the JETCC in partnership with MEWEA and the Maine Water Utilities Association. The next North Country Convention will be held in 2027, once again in Presque Ise, Maine.