The cost of dredging Sarnia Harbour has risen again.
Council approved an additional $260,000 on Dec. 11, bringing the bill to almost $3.5 million.
It was the second time the city had to ante up an additional $260,000, putting the project about $500,000 over budget.
Dredging began in late 2016 to remove 30,000 cubic metres of sediment from the Government Dock and North Slip.
Natural silting had made the Harbour too shallow for fully loaded ships to berth.
The extra money is for consulting and the cost of dealing with slightly contaminated water that seeped from excavated sediment piled at Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport.
Several councillors were unhappy about the expense, but city solicitor Scott McEachran said the municipality would be sued if it didn’t pay up.
In a closed-door session prior to the meeting two items of litigation or potential litigation were discussed.