Mercer County commissioners will have to wait at least two weeks longer than they'd anticipated to open bids for a new jail.

Commissioner Kenneth A. Seamans said a new problem has come up with the jail's sewer system.

Commissioners struck a deal with the state prison in Findley Township to have sewage from the new county jail hooked into the state's system.

Under the Dec. 26 agreement, the state prison will accept the county jail's sewage at a cost of $5,800 a month. A one-time setup fee will cost the county between $70,000 and $100,000.

Then, in January, the commissioners got word that additional filtering equipment might be needed for the system at an additional unanticipated cost of up to $200,000.

The newest snag has to do with the total capacity the state prison is able to handle on its system, Seamans said.

Freda Tarbell, spokesperson for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the state prison's treatment plant can treat 150,000 gallons of sewage a day. The state prison produces 120,000 gallons each day, and the new county jail is estimated to produce 33,000 a day, she said.

That puts the total amount of sewage flowing through the plant at 3,000 gallons more than it can handle.

"We suggested they re-rate the plant so it can handle more sewage, or possibly look at plant expansion," Ms. Tarbell said.

DEP officials met with commissioners and prison officials Feb. 6 to start discussions on how to deal with the problem, Ms. Tarbell said.

Bids for the estimated $17 million jail project were supposed to be submitted by Feb. 20. Seamans said the bids already received are not necessarily off the table, but it could be two weeks or longer before the can be awarded.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at: ateutsch@sharonherald.com