The Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project in Mandeville got the green light Thursday night thanks to City Council members unanimously approving and accepting Gilmore & Son Construction Corp. as the lowest bidder.

Bidding began on the goliath project earlier this week, and what Mayor Eddie Price and other city officials estimated would cost nearly $3 million came in at a surprising $1.68 million.

“This is good news for us,” Price said, excited about beginning the project that, until recently, was not an accepted means of coastal restoration. The assimilation project consists of stretching a pipe from the state of the art sewer treatment facility south of Mandeville High School, westward toward the Tchefuncte River. Price said the pipe would extend several thousand feet over the expanse of unpopulated wetlands, where it would distribute moderated amounts of effluent into the marshland. The hopes are to restore the desolated wetlands that have been plagued with salt-water intrusion and coastal erosion, Price said.

Price also added the effluent pumped into the wetlands will not be raw sewerage.

“It will be very fine, almost like drinking water,” he said, adding the substance will contain high amounts of nutrients that are vital to restoring the coast.

In other news:

The council approved a $13,000 change order to the Harbor Pavilion project, increasing the total cost to $253,000. The change order is the result of an added mesh fence to the handrail and the pitch increase to the cupola roof. Officials said the pavilion is nearing completion.

The council accepted the substantial completion certificate for the Mandeville Trailhead project. Work at the Trailhead has been completed but city officials issued the contractor a punch list of items needing attention before the remaining sum of payment was disbursed.