A map showing the Lakeland Sewer District

Lakeland Regional Sewer District opened bids Tuesday night for the second section of construction of a sewer collection system to be installed in the area around Big Barbee, Little Barbee, Banning, Kuhn, Shoe, Seachrist, Sawmill and Irish lakes. Grassy Creek up to East CR 500N will also be included in the new sewer district.

Present for the bid opening were board President Jim Haney and members Mike DeWald, John McDaniel, Bob Marcuccilli and Bob Sanders. The presented bids were read by Casey Erwin of DLZ Architects, Engineers, Planners, Surveyors.

Bids for section A of the collection system were opened Dec. 11. At the opening of bids for section B, four bids were presented. Those were from Niblock Excavating, Bristol, for $7,269,696.69; Advanced Rehabilitation Technology Ltd. of Bryan, Ohio, $6,703,252.75; Selge Construction of Niles, Mich., $6,177,032.75; and HRP Construction Inc. of South Bend, $7,794907.75.

All four bids will be taken under advisement. Bids for section C and the treatment plant are scheduled to be opened Dec. 18, and the board will evaluate all the bids and award them after a 90-day holding period. Construction should begin in the spring.

In November the USDA Rural Development approved and authorized plans and specifications, and awarded the project a 40-year, $24.5 million loan. For the purposes of bidding, the project was then divided into four sections: northern, middle, and southern, and wastewater treatment plant.