San Diego

The San Diego City Council Tuesday approved an $11.8-million contract to allow its consultant, James M. Montgomery Consulting Engineers, to continue planning the city’s $2.8-billion sewage-treatment upgrade project.

The pact is believed to be the largest consultant’s contract in city history, City Manager John Lockwood said.

The contract, for pre-design work on the mammoth system, was rejected Feb. 12 by a coalition of council members concerned that the city was not adequately addressing water conservation in design of the sewer system.

But the next day, after receiving assurances about a separate water conservation plan being developed by city staff, the council voted 7-0 to reverse its decision to halt planning of the sewer project.

The council reviewed the 12-point water conservation plan Tuesday before referring it to a council committee for public hearings and debate.

The sewer contract was approved by a 6-3 vote Tuesday, with Mayor Maureen O’Connor and council members Abbe Wolfsheimer, Ron Roberts, Wes Pratt, Linda Bernhardt and Judy McCarty in favor of it. Councilmen John Hartley, Bruce Henderson and Bob Filner dissented.