SUN JOURNAL • April 29, 2022
In 1875, Auburn started pumping water out of Lake Auburn for use. In 1880, swimming was prohibited because of bacteria. Soon, because of pollution in the Androscoggin River, Lewiston was granted rights to get their drinking water from Lake Auburn. In 1923, due to water quality issues, 200 camps were purchased around the lake, and Lake Grove Park was closed. In 1993, Lewiston paid the Auburn Water District to be half-owners of the land owned by AWD. The goal is to protect the lake in order for it to keep the no filtration system status. If Lake Auburn needs a filtration system, Lewiston residents’ water bill will likely double. Lake Auburn is Lewiston’s lake, too. ~ Pam Rousseau, Auburn