Work continues on the nearly $3 million renovation of the Smithville Waste Water Treatment Plant.

City aldermen voted, on the recommendation of the J.R. Wauford Company, the city’s engineering firm, in August to award the $2,794,000 bid to W & O Construction Company of Livingston. The bid includes an upgrade of the headworks and replacement of the aeration system.

City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson told the city council at last week’s meeting that the project was moving along.

“We had a meeting Thursday, January 5,” Hendrixson said. “They have begun a lot of construction there. They have 365 calendar days and are 80 days into it. Out of the $2.8 million we have paid out about $350,000. Of course the first $500,000 we will get reimbursed from the state for our CDBG. Everything is going well down there.”

The city recently received a $525,000 Community Development Block Grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to help fund the project. The remaining funds will come from the city's water and sewer fund surplus.