EATON TWP. — Building a sewer line from Eaton and Carlisle townships to Avon Lake’s Wastewater Treatment Plant will cost far less than expected.

Construction bids for the 37½-mile sewer came in at a little more than $14 million when they were opened by Lorain County Rural Wastewater District officials on Thursday.

That’s $7 million less than the engineer’s estimate of about $21 million, said LORCO President Jim McConnell.

The actual construction cost could change some depending on the results of the bid review process, McConnell said.

LORCO can’t award contracts to build the line – which is split into six sections for construction purposes — until the bids from 13 contractors who submitted them are reviewed and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency issues a permit to install, he said.

The controversial project will install sewers in portions of Eaton and Carlisle townships. Residents whose homes are along the line will be required to pay a $5,000 tap-in fee in addition to paying a contractor to connect their homes to the sewer.
Critics contend that the project is too costly and that it will be too expensive for homeowners.

Jeffrey Milum and Donna Hicks, who sued LORCO earlier this week in an effort to halt the project and dissolve the organization, also have said that there is no environmental reason to proceed with building the sewer line.

LORCO officials say that they have commitments from developers to build 3,700 new homes that will use the sewer line over the next 12 to 15 years.

McConnell said he believes that the lowered cost of the construction will result in monthly sewer bills that will be less than anticipated.

The original price tag for the entire project – including construction, land acquisition, legal expenses and administrative costs – was originally estimated at between $33 million and $36 million.

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