WINFIELD | The company in charge of upgrading the town's sewer plant apparently will miss the June 1 deadline, Winfield officials said, which will hold up development in some subdivisions.

No activity has been reported at the Meadows lift station site, said Town Engineer Tony Kenning, of private firm DLZ.

Representatives of Doubletree Lake Estates LLC, the developer tapped with completing the project by the deadline, did not attend the Sewer Board meeting last week to discuss details of the holdup.

Kenning told the board he contacted the manufacturer of the new pump station equipment, who advised him that an order had been placed in late December and delivery is expected by the end of June. Kenning estimated the new station could be working by the beginning of August.

Board President Jim Hicks told Kenning he would like the developer to provide an action or activities plan in writing that would outline the timetable for equipping the pump station.

Town Attorney William Enslen said since the Sewer Board does not meet again until June 17, no action would be taken until then. Enslen also said if the developer defaults on the promised upgrade to the station, the town would be protected because of a performance bond that's in place, which would allow the town to complete the project.

Doubletree officials could not be reached for comment.

Last fall, the Winfield Town Council, sitting as the Sewer Board, issued a sewer moratorium that denied building permits for homes that would connect to the sewer plant through the Meadows lift station because it was at capacity. It is estimated the station handles about 85 to 90 percent of the sewage going to the town's plant.

The ban effectively halted construction in Doubletree Lake East and West, Country Meadow Estates, The Meadows and the new Wynbrooke developments.

That moratorium was lifted a few weeks later when Doubletree agreed to immediately install a sewer main that would increase capacity and subsequently complete an upgrade to the lift station by June 1.