The American Council of Engineering Companies’ Maine Chapter has recognized Sevee & Maher Engineers, Inc. (SME), of Cumberland, for exemplary work on a project to remediate an abandoned municipal airport site and provide stormwater and water supply solutions for Estabrook’s Farms & Greenhouse’s newly-constructed commercial greenhouse facility. SME received the 2025 Engineering Excellence Award in the Waste and Stormwater category for the firm’s performance as consultant for the State-of-the-Art Greenhouse project in Pownal, Maine.
”This is the most technically advanced facility in the State of Maine for horticulture,” said Tom Estabrook, Estabrook’s Co-Owner and President. “To bring a facility like this takes a massive team effort, and we were happy to have Sevee & Maher on our team.”
In addition to Estabrook’s, SME also partnered with CWS Architects (Scarborough), A.H. Grover, Storey Brothers Excavating, ErfGoed, and Eason Horticulture Resources to bring the project to fruition.
The former municipal airport was unsuitable for reuse because of oil-impacted soils and hazardous materials. SME’s Site Investigation and Remediation Team worked diligently to address the complex and environmentally sensitive characteristics of the property, heightened by the presence of Chandler Brook and neighboring wetlands to the west. The solutions included remediating impacted soils on-site, and guidance on clean up and disposal of historical building and hangar debris to provide a safe site for construction of the greenhouse facility for Estabrook’s.
SME then turned to its Civil Engineering and Permitting unit to create an innovative water management system designed with two key components: a 2-million-gallon, drought resistant irrigation pond capable of storing an average of two months’ worth of water; and a multi-source supply system that integrates nearby Chandler Brook withdrawals with rainwater harvesting from greenhouse roofs. In total, the rainwater harvesting is estimated to add 1.6 million gallons per year to the irrigation pond and minimize withdrawals from Chandler Brook. This water feeds a recirculation system inside the greenhouse reducing demand for new water – particularly important in recent seasons of drought in Maine.
“By easing strain on the water supply, reducing environmental impact, and aiding the local economy, this project reflects SME’s commitment to sustainable, community-focused solutions,” said Dan Diffin, P.E., Vice President and Senior Civil Engineer at SME.