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County awards lead‑service-line inventory contract; field work will inspect roughly 3,300 services
Summary
Harris County approved a contract May 6 to inspect about 3,300 water services identified as “unknown” in its lead‑service‑line inventory, with staff recommending the field‑investigation award to Vetter Construction at a base bid of $338,510.
Harris County approved a contract on May 6 to complete field investigations of water services identified as “unknown” during an initial lead‑service‑line inventory required by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and U.S. EPA lead and copper rules.
Carden Sloop (staff) reported the county received three responsive bids and recommended the project be awarded to Vetter Construction at a base bid of $338,510. The contract covers field inspection work to determine material type for about 3,300 services (work will inspect the service from the meter to the house), document conditions and submit records to the state.
Funding: the county reported it received a $100,000 principal‑forgiveness grant from GIFA toward the inventory; it also described an award totaling $480,000 that included $120,000 in principal forgiveness and a remaining $360,000 structured as a 20‑year loan at an estimated 3.25% interest. County staff said any remaining funds from the loan could be used for service-line replacement if lead or galvanized lines are identified.
Unresolved issues and scope: staff emphasized that the current contract is for the inventory/field‑investigation phase only. The state has not yet specified how replacement costs (meter‑to‑foundation service segments) will be allocated; staff said the state may require a second phase and has not yet determined which party would be responsible for replacement costs.
Action taken: the Board approved the award and authorized county staff to execute necessary documents. Staff said the initial inventory must be completed before further replacement planning or funding decisions are made.
