SUN JOURNAL • June 16, 2024
50 years ago, the Androscoggin River was one of the most polluted rivers in the country — rated in the top 10 during the 1960s, where untreated sewage flowed into the river. A new wastewater treatment plant opened in Lewiston in March 1974 and helped transform the water quality of the Androscoggin River. Gone is the dark and brown foam, the odor and the toxic chemicals. There was not enough oxygen in the water to sustain fish. Reports of paint peeling on nearby buildings have not been heard in years. Facility leaders will soon change its name to the Lewiston Auburn Clean Water Authority to better reflect its role in cleaning up the river.