VERGENNES — The Little City’s big wastewater treatment facility upgrade is going to cost less than previously expected.

Because of this, Vergennes officials will be able to use some of the $25.5 million bond approved by voters in 2022 on other components of the broader $45 million, multi-year and multi-element project.

“What happened is we’re able to do this without having to go back to the voters for an additional bond,” City Manager Ron Redmond explained on Tuesday after city councilors accepted a bid.

PC Construction Company of South Burlington says it can do the project for $24,588,000, and lower than two other bids also received, from Naylor and Breen Builders Inc. and Kubricky-Jointa Lime LLC.

City councilors approved contracting with PC to complete what is the most expensive element of the broader, Vermont Department of Conservation-mandated call to address deficiencies in the Vergennes sewer and wastewater system. Other components include rehabilitation of three sewers, one of which is already being worked on.

Construction on the Macdonough Drive sewer, one of the three, began in November, and was expected to cost $375,830, per a December update on the broader project.

Also necessary are upgrades to the Macdonough Drive pump station and the force main at that location, the two projects the city can move forward with using some of the bond already approved by voters in 2022.

A handout distributed during the Vergennes City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 15, shows the city has roughly $4.5 million in borrowing capacity remaining that will cover those two elements. In total, they are estimated to cost about $5.5 million. The remaining $1,090,400 will be covered by the city sewer capital fund.

Wastewater treatment facility construction is planned to begin in September, Redmond said.

Wright-Pierce, the engineering firm working on the project, has experience working with PC.

“PC’s list of past and present projects includes several relevant wastewater facility improvement projects, including upgrades in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Accokeek, Md., as listed in the bid package. Additionally, Wright Pierce has worked extensively with PC throughout the WWTF Phase 2 Headworks Upgrade project currently ongoing in Burlington. Team coordinators slated to work on the Vergennes facility upgrade (Christopher Gero, Jeff Boggs and Natalie Alger) are currently working in Burlington, and they have shown competence and produced satisfactory results thus far in the construction phase,” a memo from Wright-Pierce to Redmon states.

“Wright-Pierce has also worked with PC on similar facility upgrades in Brunswick, Maine; and Manchester, N.H. Based on our experience with PC and our review of the bidding documents, Wright-Pierce is not aware of any reason why this contract should not be awarded to PC as the lowest responsible and responsive bidder.”