Officials are pleased with the progress of the Marion Township sewer project even though the project is behind the original schedule.

Work started in the spring on the $4.2 million project, which is intended to provide sewage service to more than 100 homes and businesses in Boyers and was supposed to be finished by the end of the year.

The county commissioners last week approved a no-cost, six-month extension of project engineering firm EADS Group’s contract from Jan. 17 this year to July 17, 2024.

The new treatment plant is 25% complete, but the project is behind schedule because of material delivery delays and the slow process of removing sludge from the lagoon of the old treatment plant, Wendy Leslie, county community development block grant coordinator, told the commissioners Wednesday, Dec. 20.

The sewage collection system is 40% complete, and all materials and supplies including piping, tanks, grinder pumps and liners have now been delivered, she said.

Installation of pipes and grinder pumps, which are parts of the collection system, is underway, officials said.

“We couldn’t be happier,” Jason McBride, chairman of the Marion township supervisors, said Friday. “Pipe is getting laid. Grinder pumps are going in.”

McBride complimented workers from Bison Construction of Clarion County and Mortimer’s Excavating of Lawrence County, and said residents have been pleased with how well the contractors clean up the work areas when they are finished working.

“I’m impressed with how fast it’s actually going,” McBride said. Eight to 10 employees work at the site, he said.

In January, the commissioners awarded the $2.2 million sewer plant construction contract to Bison Construction and a $1.2 million contract to install sewer collection lines to Mortimer’s Excavating.

The rest of the $4.2 million in construction contracts were a $475,196 contract to provide 87 grinder pumps, pump housings and lateral service lines to Trombold Equipment Co. (Tepco) of Mars and a $265,000 contract for electric service installation to Right Electric of Butler.

EADS Group was awarded a contract at a do-not-exceed cost of $341,695 for engineering and inspection services.