Portland Water District Wins $8.1 Million Grant
The USDA grant will fund a watershed protection effort to safeguard Sebago Lake, a drinking water source for more than 200,000 people.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Utilities
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The Portland Water District was awarded an $8.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service to lead an $18 million watershed protection project. The project will advance stream restoration and forest conservation across the Sebago Lake watershed, from Bethel to Standish.
Why it matters
Sebago Lake supplies drinking water to more than 200,000 people, and the project aims to protect the forests and streams that feed it. The effort builds on a 2020 award that conserved forest and reconnected rivers and streams across the watershed.
The $8.1 million federal grant covers less than half of the $18 million total, with $10 million in partner contributions making up most of the balance. The 2020 award delivered measurable results, but the source does not report how the new project's outcomes will be verified.
The players
Portland Water District
The Portland Water District is a public utility that supplies drinking water to the Portland, Maine, region and leads this watershed initiative.
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency within the USDA that provides conservation funding and technical assistance to private landowners.
Paul Hunt
Paul Hunt is the environmental services manager of the Portland Water District, overseeing its watershed programs.
The details
The project works with interested landowners to purchase conservation easements on high-priority forests and provides technical assistance and funding for forest management planning, invasive plant and insect control, and habitat enhancement. Over the next five years, the work will remove barriers and improve stream crossings to promote fish passage, restore natural river flows, and build flood resilience.
Timeline
2020: Initial $8 million watershed protection award made.
Next five years: Conservation easements, landowner assistance, and stream work planned.
Health Landscape
The project draws on the USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program, which funds locally led conservation partnerships under the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Following a 2020 award that conserved over 12,000 acres, this second grant extends that model to protect a single drinking water source.
Residents served by Sebago Lake's drinking water supply may see the benefits of cleaner, better-protected source water over time. The project focuses on forest and stream conservation rather than changes to customer rates or service.
The takeaway
Protecting the forests and streams that feed a drinking water source is a long-term investment that works upstream of the tap. Projects like this rely on private landowners who agree to conserve their land.
Further reading
For more on how water systems are managed across the state, see Utilities coverage in Maine.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mainebiz.
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