Waterville, ME

Mayor: Paul LePage

Date of Adoption:
2006-01-01

Primary Contact:
Steve Erario

Why My City is Cool

Waterville, Maine has been a Cool Community since 2006, when Mayor Paul LePage signed the US Mayors Climate Protection agreement. During the summer of 2007, Colby College student Steve Erario completed a greenhouse gas inventory and created a climate action plan for the City of Waterville. After its first two meetings in 2007, the newly formed Waterville Sustainability Committee will address energy use and sustainability issues in the government and community at large.

Due to overstretched resources, not much was done until the kind act of a local resident. An anonymous donor from the neighboring Town of Winslow funded an internship position for a Colby student to look at issues of sustainability in Waterville. City Manager Mike Roy and others were very favorable to the idea in city government, realizing the potential implications for climate change and the possible benefits from reduced energy costs. During the summer, the intern completed a greenhouse gas inventory and action plan. The city created a Sustainability Committee, which has established membership and guidelines and will be implementing action steps over the months and years to come.

Waterville, Maine has been a Cool Community since 2006, when Mayor Paul LePage signed the US Mayors Climate Protection agreement. During the summer of 2007, Colby College student Steve Erario completed a greenhouse gas inventory and created a climate action plan for the City of Waterville. The Waterville Sustainability Committee will address energy use and sustainability issues in the government and community at large.

The City has taken many energy efficiency improvements, including:

* Traffic signals all upgraded to LEDs
* Insulated doors/windows installed on a few of the municipal buildings
* Insulated overhead doors installed on PW facility
* Lighting system at PW building updated just a few months ago, ½ electricity used
* New T-8 bulbs and ballasts installed
* Lighting upgraded in town hall main lobby/entranceway
* VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phone system with POE (power over Ethernet)
* Replaced many CRT monitors with LCD monitors
* Some auto-on/off light controls have been installed at schools
* T-8 and electronic ballasts have been installed at all schools
* Energy management system in place
* Turn off the whole school button
* Set back temperatures uniformly
* Junior High Gym installed T5 high-output fluorescents with motion sensors

Waterville Sustainability Project

Colby College student Steve Erario spent the summer of 2007 studying the city of Waterville’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to finds ways to save money and reduce gas emissions. Click here to read the article.