Brunswick County awards $23 million contract for Longwood Road sewer; board approves change order and funding plan

Brunswick County commissioners voted Aug. 15 to award the Longwood Road sewer construction contract to Keane Construction in the amount of $23,054,203.54, including three alternates, and to approve an associated change order that removes grinder package installation, electrical and certain connection work for separate competitive contracts.

Brent Lachamee, speaking for county utilities staff, said the project is funded primarily by a North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) grant awarded in 2022 and augmented by county funds and ARP allocations. The base bid and alternates seek to install a force main and a low‑pressure collection system along Longwood Road, extend sewer service to Waccamaw Elementary School, and provide roughly 200 sewer connections for underserved properties along the route.

Lachamee described the contracting strategy: the project was bid with a base bid plus three alternates prioritized via a community heat map and outreach. After rebidding the project the county received responsive bids and recommended awarding the full package. The county also proposed a change order that would remove (deduct) the grinder package and related specialized items from Keane's scope so those components can be competitively procured separately. Staff said that approach could produce better pricing for those portions and allow more local contractors to compete.

"If all this passes, our next step will be... send out a letter along with a sewer service agreement," Lachamee said, describing outreach and enrollment for property owners who want to connect. He added that approximately 200 respondents indicated they would connect when the county surveyed roughly 600 properties in the project area.

County staff and commissioners discussed funding contingencies if DEQ does not approve the change order or if more property owners sign up than the initial survey indicated. Finance staff described that the project budget draws on the DEQ grant, ARP‑eligible funds that must be expended by December 2026, wastewater fund balance and capital reserves; commissioners approved the recommended use of county funds where necessary to complete the project.

Why it matters: The project extends sewer service to underserved sections of the county and to Waccamaw Elementary School, reduces onsite septic reliance and is intended to remove barriers to safe wastewater management in the project area. The board approved both the contract award and the change order after staff explained the timeline and funding plan.

What’s next: Staff will execute contract documents subject to DEQ review and bring separate procurement actions for the removed grinder and electrical components if the change order is implemented.