Hampstead delays water-plant bids; pipeline work to start after Labor Day amid town PFAS, stormwater outreach

Hampstead staff told the Town Council that pre-construction work on the town’s central water system will begin in roughly two weeks and that the first new pipeline installation will start shortly after Labor Day.

Town staff member Jim said the project schedule changed after a materials issue was fixed and that the construction sequence now begins on Main Street with a new main running from “Pump House 5,” by the tennis courts, to the new dairy water treatment plant just north of Greenmount Station. “Construction of all 5 new water mains is scheduled to be completed in May 2026,” Jim said.

The council was also told the opening of bids for the water treatment plant construction contracts has been postponed until Sept. 5 so engineers can respond to questions on the request for proposals. Jim described the RFP documentation as substantial: “This is the request for bids for 2 of the plants, only 1 of the contract. It's 1,900 pages of technical stuff specifications. This does not include the actual construction drawings,” he said.

Town staff emphasized the paperwork and technical review, noting contractors have expressed interest. Pre-construction activities scheduled before pipeline installation include erosion and sediment control device installation and test pitting.

Council members and staff also referenced recent public outreach tied to water and related concerns. Town staff and county officials held two July town halls: one on changes to the Roberts Field stormwater management pond, led by Claire Hurt and Janet O’Mear of the county’s Bureau of Land Resources, and another explaining how the water system project will affect residents and businesses. Jim said staff will hold a follow-up meeting this week with the county presenters to address questions raised at the meeting and then publish the clarified information.

Separately, council comments noted the town has been communicating publicly about PFAS and related water-quality discussions; the mayor said town staff had appeared on local television and public broadcasting to explain PFAS work the town is undertaking.

The timeline presented to the council keeps the town on track to begin construction after Labor Day while giving engineers time to resolve RFP technical questions before opening bids.