Commissioners approve $46.4 million emergency contract to replace aging water main serving critical facilities

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved an emergency contract to replace a major water main corridor that county officials said serves roughly one-third of the county and several critical facilities, including Emory Healthcare and the CDC.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) Williams and Department of Watershed Management staff described the work as an emergency replacement: the project will include approximately 10,500 linear feet of ductile iron pipe (12‑inch and other sizes) along a corridor identified after a system failure earlier in the year. The county sought and presented an emergency procurement to restore reliability and to reduce the risk of future service interruptions.

Commissioner Terry thanked Watershed staff and first responders for rapid response to the initial break and for the plan to move forward with long-term replacement. She and other commissioners emphasized the project's scale and the need to protect supply to hospitals and the CDC. The board approved the emergency procurement and contract award to Ruby Collins, Inc. in the amount not to exceed $46,435,928; the record shows the item passed after committee review and audit.

The board also deferred several large Watershed contracting items to allow staff and procurement to brief commissioners about the bid evaluation and contractor roles; Chief Operating Officer Williams asked for a two‑week deferral on one related consent-decree contract so staff can provide additional information to the commissioners.

The awarded work is an emergency capital repair; Watershed staff will manage construction, inspection and coordination with critical facilities and public‑safety partners. The board did not read a roll‑call vote tally into the public record during the meeting.