Tank Water Heaters in South Portland, Maine

South Portland Homes and What They Need

South Portland's housing is younger than Portland's but still old: census estimates put the median home at 1968, about a quarter of units date from before 1940, and roughly six in ten were built before 1980. A noticeable bump in the 1940s reflects the wartime shipyard years already noted on this page. About half of homes are single detached houses and about a quarter of units are in buildings of five or more apartments, and close to six in ten households own. The older grid neighborhoods such as Ferry Village, Knightville and Meetinghouse Hill hold modest capes and two-story houses on small lots, with later subdivisions filling in the rest of the city. Houses from the 1940s and 1950s can still have small 60- or 100-amp services, ungrounded circuits and galvanized supply lines, so plumbing work in a South Portland cape often turns up aging pipe once walls are opened.

Water Supply and Drains in South Portland

Drinking water in South Portland comes from the Portland Water District's Sebago Lake supply, but wastewater is the city's own: South Portland runs its own treatment plant and collection system through its Water Resource Protection department, separate from the water district. Like Portland, the city grew up with combined sewers. In 1987 it had 28 combined overflow outlets; sewer separation has cut that to four, and the planned Pearl Street pump station upgrade is meant to bring it to two. Separation work often means new connections at the street, and it puts attention on the private pipe between each house and the main. Near the shore, basements in low spots can take on water after heavy storms. A working sump, a sound lateral and a leak check on older supply lines are the practical priorities in these neighborhoods.

Getting to Know South Portland