Get ready to kiss it goodbye, that pungent, wafting sewer odor in Pleasant Grove and American Fork.

The sewer district on Thursday voted unanimously to spend $5 million for a covered composting operation that should -- cross your fingers -- stop the stink.

The district agonized for nearly an hour about a staff recommendation to accept the highest bid for the project. Three companies bid, with the lowest bid being $2 million less than the highest, which the district accepted. The problem with the lower bids is that they were both submitted by companies that have essentially no experience, while the highest bidder has similar projects in the U.S. and abroad.

"We are looking at buying a plane from someone who has built planes, or from someone who hasn't," said board member Mark Johnson by way of analogy.

"We are paying more for experience," said board member David Norman. "I think it is a wise decision, instead of gambling."

"It may be cheaper than a lawsuit, too," said board member Dale Gunther, referring to landlords who have told the board they may sue if they continue to lose tenants over the smell from the sewer plant.

In the end, the need to stop the stink drove the decision to accept the highest bid.

"When I got off the freeway tonight, I could smell the odor on the freeway and all the way in," said board member Craig White. "That is a concern. We need to do it right and not come back a year from now and say we need to do it again."

For at least a year, businesses and residents in Pleasant Grove and American Fork have complained of stench from the plant. Plant officials have argued that the plant was there first, and cities allowed growth to encroach.

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