A dispute between the city of Farrell and the general contractor that expanded the city's wastewater-treatment plant will be heard by an arbiter, said City Manager LaVon Saternow.

Farrell has withheld $22,000 from the Conti Corp. of Lowellville, Ohio, for completing its work on the sewer plant months behind schedule.

Conti was hired in March 1998 with a bid of $1,359,000, the lowest of 12, to expand the Broadway sewer plant's capacity from 1.75 million gallons a day to 3.57 million gallons.

The company also was hired to improve the Broadway plant's headworks, where water comes in and grit and garbage are removed, to replace sludge-handling components, install an emergency generator, expand the chlorine tank, which disinfects water before it is released into the Shenango River, and other work.

The contract called for Conti to finish by March 19, 1999; the work wasn't finished until the end of that year.

While council granted Conti an unofficial extension for completion because of harsh January 1999 weather, the company never formally asked for one and consulting engineer Dan Goncz said at the time the delay was due to Conti not assigning enough workers to some tasks.

Because of the slow pace, council had to pay extra money to Killam Associates Inc., Warrendale, the company Goncz worked for at the time, for engineering and inspections

"That dispute has not been resolved," Mrs. Saternow said, adding that the two sides are not close to settling. "It's going to be handled through arbitration."

No arbitration date has been set, she said.

Council hired the Pittsburgh law firm of Reed Smith LLP to represent it in the matter.