La Feria plant bids over budget

LA FERIA - Bids for construction of a proposed $3.5 million sewer plant came in $4.3 million over budget, forcing city officials to scramble to fund the project, City Manager Sunny Philip said Tuesday.

"It's not off the table yet but we have to review all the options," Philip said.

The city's budget projections were off because they were made in 2003, before gasoline prices and material costs soared, Philip told city leaders last week.

City officials planned to fund $3.5 million to build a sewer plant that would more than double the city's wastewater treatment capacity to meet demands of future growth, Philip said.

Last week, RP Contractors, a New Braunfels company that submitted the low bid, offered to build the plant for $7.8 million, officials said.

"It's more than we have budgeted for and have money available," Philip told city officials.

Soaring construction costs have forced other cities to put off similar projects, Philip told officials.

"This has happened to other cities and some have delayed the project," Philip said.

Philip said he will meet next week with Texas Water Development Board officials to discuss funding options.

The city has applied to the agency for a $5.1 million grant.

Philip said he will also meet with the contractor to determine whether the proposed project could be reduced in size.

Another option includes making improvements to the city's old sewer plant that operates on three sewer ponds that treat as much as 500,000 gallons of wastewater a day, Philip said.

The proposed project would boost overall capacity to 1.25 million gallons to meet demands of future growth, he said.