Bulloch County moves to negotiate contracts for groundwater mitigation under county program

The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners authorized staff to enter negotiations with three responsive proposers to establish cost measures and unit prices for well mitigation under the county’s Groundwater Sustainability Program.

County engineer Ron Nelson told commissioners the action does not commit funds; it is a request to begin negotiations so the county can be ready to perform expedited mitigation for qualifying affected wells. "This request for approval is for us to enter into negotiations so this is not as actually committing any kind of funds so we're just moving to negotiations," Nelson said.

Nelson outlined the procurement history: an initial April procurement returned two proposals and failed to meet minimums; the solicitation was revised and a later May–June procurement produced three responsive proposers. Nelson said the three proposers are located in or near the region (one from Bulloch County, one from Jefferson County and one from Toombs County) and are registered with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division as required by the program manual.

The proposed contracts would cover pre-mitigation assessments and well-mitigation methods — including setting existing well pumps deeper, replacing pumps, or drilling new wells on a unit-priced basis — to serve residents in identified five-mile radii around affected sites. Nelson said the county hopes to have contracts in place before the first qualifying well comes on board and that contract language will include termination or performance remedies if a contractor fails to perform.

Commissioners approved the motion to authorize negotiations; the vote was unanimous.