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Bayonne awards $8.6 million contract to replace lead service lines in first phase of state‑mandated program
Summary
The council awarded an $8,628,080 contract to Sugar Property Services Inc. for the first phase of a state-mandated lead service line replacement program; staff said the 10‑year program must be completed by July 22, 2031 and described staging, trial pits and coordination with repaving.
The Bayonne City Council on May 14 awarded a construction contract for the first phase of the city’s lead service line replacement program to Sugar Property Services Inc. for a total of $8,628,080.
John Armstrong, municipal services engineer, told the council the work is part of a state-mandated 10‑year program that must be complete by July 22, 2031. Armstrong said the municipality has 12,276 water connections citywide; of those, staff identified roughly 2,419 confirmed lead service lines, about 1,418 confirmed non‑lead lines and just over 8,840 lines with unknown status — the first contract targets approximately 960 connections in a defined area.
Armstrong described the fieldwork required to identify lead service lines: small trial pits to expose pipe material, coordination with scheduled repaving projects and close coordination with public works to avoid digging recently paved streets. He said the contractor was chosen through a public bid process and that the awarded firm has prior experience performing emergency repair work for other municipalities.
Council members asked about phasing and resident notification; Armstrong said work will be done in stages concentrated in central and southern sections of the city (parts of Avenue A and Broadway) and that staff can provide maps and schedules to the council and residents before each phase begins.
The resolution authorizing the award passed by roll call. Staff emphasized that the work will require temporary street excavation and coordination with repaving projects; the council asked that advance notice be provided so elected officials and residents know when work is planned in specific blocks.
The first phase will include trial pits to determine whether a connection is lead and then replacement where required; precise household impacts will be determined during fieldwork and staff said they will return with maps and schedules.
