HARPSWELL ANCHOR • February 10, 2025
With no municipal sewer system, almost all of Harpswell’s homes and businesses rely on septic systems to handle their wastewater. But a few dozen properties that are too small or too rocky for conventional septic systems still use what are called overboard discharge systems, even as the state and town governments work to replace them. Overboard discharges, or OBDs, release treated wastewater, which could introduce bacteria and other pathogens, to surface water such as a river or the ocean. About 600 OBDs remain. Harpswell has 44 of those, the fifth most among Maine towns. Only Boothbay, Bristol, Georgetown and Southport have more. Maine has a grant program to help property owners pay for overboard discharge replacement, but there is a long waitlist for the limited funds available.