The Windham Town Council told representatives of the Portland Water District that the town has no intention of paying for costs projected to exceeded those written in the contract the two bodies signed last year for a sewer project.

“It’s not fair to do business this way,” said Councilor Liz Wisecup. The cost the Portland Water District expects the town to pay is estimated at $107,000. She compared it to agreeing on a plan to renovate a bathroom, only to be presented with a higher bill because the contractor followed a different plan.

“You’d go tell them to take a flying leap,” said Wisecup.

“We weren’t even notified,” said Councilor Bob Muir. He said the Portland Water District should have contacted the town months ago when the sewer project began to deviate from the agreed-upon plan.

“That’s just plain wrong,” Muir added.

“We express our regret,” said Portland Water District General Manager Ronald Miller. He apologized that the bill exceeds what the town agreed to, but said it will have to be paid by someone.

“It’s not unusual to have changed conditions in a construction project,” said Jay Hewitt, project manager for the sewer project.

Hewitt said the Maine Department of Environmental Protection told them in a “sheepish letter” after the contract with Windham had been signed that the project required a more costly permitting process.

Other cost increases included additional paving projects and overtime pay for workers.

Hewitt said the final cost of the project, originally projected at $7.5 million and now looking like $7.9 million, will not be known until spring when it is complete.

“It’s not definite,” said Hewitt of the $100,000 share that Windham has been asked to pay. He said the estimate was a worst-case scenario that could be paid off in installments.

The town had signed on to pay for $2 million of the project. The rest of the bill goes to the town of Gorham and the Maine Correctional Center. Windham’s contract included a contingency plan that said it would pay up to an additional $25,000 if the project went over budget.

“It seems to me there were some expensive mistakes made,” said Councilor Blaine Davis. He expressed frustration and said that the Portland Water District members would not use the word “mistake.”

Davis said the Portland Water District could have capped overtime or contacted the town council to ask for permission to exceed the contract.

“Certainly, that would have been the ideal thing to have done,” said Hewitt.

Davis said he is being asked to make the citizens of Windham pay for the poor planning of the Portland Water District.

“That’s a very hard thing for me to do,” he said.

“It’s a good project,” said Muir. “It’s going to do a lot of good, but the ends justifying the means is no way to do business.”

Councilor Chairman John MacKinnon asked what would happen if Windham doesn’t pay for the overrun costs, as the bill will still need to be paid by someone.

“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” said Miller.