The Warren County Commission last Thursday voted to proceed with implementing sewer pretreatment improvements, ending a more than two-week delay after project bids were first reviewed. Commissioners accepted the lowest bid from Warrenton-based Heggemann Inc. for $55,353 to install a bar screen system to catch clothes, trash and other items before they enter the city's sewer system. The items will then be removed by a county maintenance employee. As part of the bid package, the design provided for a grinder - the city's preferred pretreatment system - to be installed in the future if needed. In addition to Heggemann's winning bid and the alternate design it proposed, three other bids ranging from $57,116 to $118,600 were also received by the county. Commissioners had interest in Heggemann's alternate proposal since they said it would save the county $20,000 to $25,000. The sewer pretreatment project was expected to have started by now. Bids were opened Nov. 21 but awarding a contract was delayed as engineers for both the city and county reviewed the alternate design. On Dec. 6, Warrenton aldermen rejected the proposal over concerns that the items being flushed and removed from the manhole may not be properly disposed off and could potentially lead to citations from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. While the commission doesn't agree with the city's assessment of the DNR guidelines, they agreed the project needs to move forward without any more disruptions. Commissioners said the project will start immediately, though actual work outside the courthouse is not expected to begin for around two weeks awaiting a precast concrete structure to be built. "We have no other option," Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage said. "(The city doesn't) want to save taxpayers' money. Postponing it will only cost more with the cleanout charges. We want to get it in and get it over with." The dispute between the city and county has been ongoing since February when city workers discovered a jail jumpsuit and other garbage that had clogged the city's sewer main. The city requested the sewer pretreatment improvements since every manhole overflow must be reported as a violation to DNR. City officials are worried that similar blockages could cause damage to the sewer system. Under city codes, it's unlawful for any type of garbage to be discharged into the city's sewer main. Until the pretreatment improvements are complete, the county will continue to be billed for daily sewer cleanouts performed by the city. Between Oct. 13 and Nov. 20, the county has accrued $8,439.86 in cleanout charges. A wide assortment of items that have been removed on a daily basis by city crews include clothes, food wrappers and toothbrushes. The city plans on making visual inspections for 60 days after the sewer pretreatment project is complete to ensure that the pretreatment system is functioning properly.