NORTH WEBSTER — Lakeland Regional Sewer District met Thursday evening, March 3, at the North Webster Community Center to hear updates and discuss progress on the large sewer project covering the Barbee chain of lakes in North Webster and Leesburg.

Casey Erwin, DLZ project engineer, noted the entire project has reached about 43 percent completion with a substantial completion date set for December. The system is expected to be up and running by the first of the 2017 year, with the district contracting all the jobs needed to run the wastewater treatment plant and billing systems. JPR will continue with billing, while the district will pay Astbury Water Technology Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, for daily operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant.

Erwin also reported the wastewater treatment plant is running about $27,000 below budget. R.E. Crosby, the contractor for that portion of the project, has just begun pouring the concrete foundation for the structure. Board president Jim Haney asked Erwin if there was any portion of the project that should be cause for concern, and Erwin confirmed at this time he feels confident the contractors will continue to stay on schedule for the completion date.

Board member Bob Sanders noted he is very impressed with the hours the contracted companies and their employees have kept, especially in changing weather and dropping temperatures.

Erwin also addressed an issue that has been of mutual concern for the public and the board for several months. The district had 79 property owners who did not sign easements several years ago allowing them to be part of the project, and many of them approached the board looking for a solution on ways to join now. Many of these property owners purchased the property after the deadline had ended to be part of the USDA-funded sewer system, and are now facing high costs to pay a contractor to install a grinder pump and run lateral lines and electrical to be able to hook up to the system.

Thirty-six customers paid DLZ to find a solution and create a plan on getting them hooked up. The deadline to request DLZ’s service was Feb. 15. Erwin alerted the district to a few documents that will be needed on its end; the LRSD will need to lay out a step-by-step process to get those customers started on securing a contractor and purchasing the needed materials. The district will also need to lay out standards of construction so each contractor has a detailed plan on completing the project to the district’s specifications.

In order to make securing a contractor as seamless as possible, the district decided to offer at least one workshop for homeowners and private companies to attend to hear the specifications of the project. Once a contractor has attended a workshop with DLZ and the district, they will be added to a list that will be made available to customers of the project. Property owners will also be able to select any contractor they choose without the district turning them away, as long as the company is able to do the work to those specifications and regulations.

The board has not yet set a date for the workshop, but Sanders suggested it be held on a summer weekend when the majority of the property owners are in town and available.

The board will hold its next regular meeting Thursday, April 7. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the North Webster Community Center.