In the early 1960s, Sugarloaf Mountain, located in Jerusalem Township Maine, was transitioning from a local ski club style operation into a full-blown ski resort. The economy was booming, everyone wanted to be a Jet Setter and an Olympic Hero, a ski vacation allowed you bragging rights around the office water cooler. In the late 60s and early 70s. There was a steady demand for slope side condominiums. The Sugarloaf real estate market was booming. Sewage collection and sewage treatment facilities on Sugarloaf have evolved over the years. Due to the lack of potential receiving waters. Disposal options were limited to land-based wastewater treatment. As the resort grew and demand for residential housing and condominiums grew. Collection systems with communal septic tank and sewage holding ponds were constructed. In 1973, SMC installed the first forest spray irrigation facility in the State of Maine. In August of 1993, the newly-formed Carrabassett Valley Sanitary District (CVSD) purchased and took over operation of the existing sewer system and wastewater treatment facilities that serve the residences and businesses at the Sugarloaf Mountain ski resort. The existing facilities and real estate were purchased from Sugartech, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sugarloaf Mountain Corporation (SMC). In 1995 CVSD installed the first of it’s kind Snowfluent plant, allowing us to treat wastewater during our peak flow season.
Currently, CVSD owns and maintains ~25 miles of collection system, and two pump stations. We maintain 1600 acres of forested land for wastewater treatment. That land includes 7 lagoons and about 120 acres of irrigation fields. During the milder months, the waste is discharged through sprinklers onto 80 acres of forested irrigation fields; colder winter months we defer to snowmaking to discharge our effluent onto a 40 acre snowfield.
In 2024 we accepted and treated ~60 million gallons of wastewater in 2024. About 28 million gallons was treated as snowfluent.
The District is staffed by 3 full time employees and 1 part time employee.
