MAINE PUBLIC • March 31, 2022
In a press conference at city hall Thursday, Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said that Lake Auburn's high water quality isn't just a badge of pride, it also saves Lewiston and Auburn money. That's because the lake has a filtration waiver from the Department of Environmental Protection, which reduces treatment costs. But Sheline said the Auburn City Council's recent approval to rezone nearly 150 acres near the lake to allow development would likely degrade water quality to the point where the sister cities would have to install an attrition plant costing millions of dollars.