The city of Bainbridge Island will soon take the next steps to replace three deteriorating sewer pipes along Eagle Harbor by next fall.

The Bainbridge Island City Council gave public works staff the go-ahead last week to begin the search for contractors.

“This project, as I’m sure everyone is well aware, is a very important project for the city,” said Public Works Director Barry Loveless.

The 35-year-old system has experienced three main breaks along the waterfront in the past few years, two of which occurred within 100 yards of each other this past year.

In August 2013, approximately 400,000 gallons of raw sewage was released into the harbor. Most recently, in January, another 145,000 gallons of sewage escaped from the main.

With the council’s approval, the city began accepting bids from contractors to have the mains replaced within the year.

The three pipelines to be replaced are the 4,000-foot-long Wing Point Force Main, the 3,000-foot force main off of Highway 305 and the nearly 4,000-foot Wastewater Treatment Plant effluent line.

Loveless said the bid deadline is June 24.

This will put the city in a position to begin work on the pipelines by July to be finished by October.

Due to the state of deterioration of the three sewer mains, the city has received a 20-year Public Works Trust Fund loan from the state in the amount of $4,167,089 for the work.

The city plans to match 5 percent of the cost.

An engineer’s estimate projects the pipeline replacement will cost between $1.9 million and $2.2 million.

The city is currently waiting for state and federal environmental permits to do work within the “fish window.”

If the permits are not approved before the window, work will be delayed until next year.