The Altoona Water Authority will pay about $2 million less than it originally expected to pay to replace the screens on its two combined sewer overflow tanks, due to competition between a pair of screen manufacturers.

The low bidder for the general mechanical work on the project was G.M. McCrossin of Bellefonte, which offered to do its portion of the work for $2.64 million, said Jim Balliet of Gwin Dobson and Foreman, the authority’s consulting engineer, at an authority meeting Thursday.

Gwin engineers thought the mechanical portion of the job would cost something close to $5 million, Balliet said.

In drawing up the bid specifications, Gwin named two manufacturers, and they “undercut each other,” as the contractors that were interested in the project worked out their bids, according to Balliet.

Listing two manufacturers, instead of naming just a single preferred one — or else buying the equipment itself and hiring the contractors to install it — “paid off,” Balliet said.

Gwin was able to name two potential suppliers because either’s screens would work, he said.

Authority officials checked with McCrossin and are satisfied the company will honor its bid, said authority General Manager Mark Perry.

Low bidder for the electrical portion of the project was D&M Electrical and Automation of Mount Union, which offered to do the work for $299,000.

Total cost for mechanical and electrical construction should be about $3 million.

Pennvest has agreed to lend the authority $6.75 million for the project.

The lower bids will mean the authority won’t need to borrow as much, Balliet said.

The authority board is expected to award the contracts to McCrossin and D&M next month.

The authority will close on the Pennvest loan in September, after which it will issue notices to proceed, Balliet said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.