New Documentary Put the Spotlight on Wastewater Workers in Maine​

A new documentary titled Unless Something Goes Terribly Wrong brings rare visibility to the people who keep Portland, Maine’s wastewater system running smoothly. Filmed inside the Portland Water District’s East End Wastewater Treatment Facility, the feature-length project uses humor, vivid cinematography and warm character moments to show the demanding, often unseen work behind wastewater treatment, reports the Portland Press Herald. Workers featured in the film say their jobs are typically noticed only when something goes wrong, even though they manage nonstop operations and navigate challenges such as aging equipment, emerging PFAS contamination and the region’s sludge disposal crisis. The film emphasizes that