WEST PARIS — Maine Rural Water Association, the agency contracted to manage and operate the West Paris Water District, has secured a $50,000 block grant to pay for the water system’s breakdown Tuesday.

The led to a pump failure caused by a suspected surge in voltage and a “do not use” order by Maine Drinking Water Safety.

Town officials and Water District trustees were informed of the grant’s approval during a Thursday morning phone call with the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development.

The grant came together so quickly it was not even announced at the trustees meeting Wednesday night at Ring-McKeen American Legion Post No. 151 in West Paris.

The Board of Selectmen has scheduled an emergency meeting Friday at 9 a.m. at the Town Office on Kingsbury Street to vote to accept the grant. Terms of the grant require the town to be the official recipient and manager of the money.

mtm-related-link url=”https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/08/05/west-paris-water-district-issues-water-conservation-order/”]West Paris Water District issues emergency ‘do not use order’ to customers[/mtm-related-link]

The Water District will be responsible for submitting all invoices to replace the district’s electrical panel, remove, repair and reinstall the broken pump, contract a private water hauling company to truck in as much as 80,000 gallons a day from Paris, and reimburse the Paris Utility District for supplying water.

If the overall costs to repair the intake pump and replace the electrical panel run over $50,000, West Paris will bill the Water District to cover the shortages, as well as administrative costs of managing the process.

At Wednesday night’s trustees meeting, Maine Rural Water Association Director and acting Water District Superintendent Kirsten Hebert said the pump failure will be expensive and could possibly result in another rate increase. It was too soon, she said, to try to estimate what the total cost would be.

She also explained that the cause of the failure was likely due to more voltage going into the pump motor than it could handle.

The pump station’s electrical panel has been replaced. The motor is being repaired and Hebert expects it will be reinstalled by the end of the day Friday.

The new motor was installed in June by Mark Pollard Electrical of New Gloucester. Trustee Chair David Walton and Hebert said they are working to determine if it and its installation are covered by a warranty.

In response to the crisis, Walmart and Poland Spring Water have donated drinking water to customers. It is being distributed from the West Paris Town Garage.