South Main Street Pump Station Explosion

Release Date: July 2, 2018

On June 30, 2018 at approximately 12:25 PM, Brewer Police and Fire units responded to a reported explosion on South Main Street in the vicinity of South Brewer Drive. The source of the explosion was an unmanned sewage pump station that was significantly damaged. No one was injured as a result of the blast.

Employees from the City of Brewer Environmental Services Department have been assisted by officials from the Maine DEP and Fire Marshall’s Office. Soil and air samples have been taken in an effort to pinpoint a definitive cause of the explosion. Officials have no evidence indicating that the blast was an intentional act.

A potential cause of the explosion could be from the ignition of vapors from a flammable liquid introduced into the sewer system. The Brewer Police Department is asking that anyone with information about recent spills of flammable liquids, such as gasoline, that entered the sewer system (i.e. through a floor drain) in the area call Brewer PD at 207-989-7001.