Board accepts low bids for 3 Forks waterline and Bethlehem booster station; funding clarified

Alexander County commissioners on Dec. 8 authorized two water-system projects and accepted low bids recommended by county staff and consulting engineers.

Public Works Facilities Director Josh Mitchell said three bids were received on the 3 Forks Waterline Extension; the low bidder, Iron Mountain Construction of Mountain City, Tennessee, submitted $1,645,883. Adding an $80,000 contingency produced a project total of $1,725,883, which falls within an existing project budget and is funded by a 2023 state appropriation through the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. The board voted unanimously to accept the low bid and proceed to contract.

Mitchell also presented bids for the Bethlehem Booster Station, which is tied to the Bethlehem water tank project. The low bid from Brushy Mountain Builders (Caldwell County) was $2,274,980 with a recommended $140,000 contingency, bringing the total to $2,414,980. Mitchell said the county will move money from the water and sewer enterprise fund to the project ordinance for the Bethlehem water tank and that the water/sewer revenues — not property-tax general fund revenues — will pay this cost. Commissioners approved the booster station award and the necessary budget amendment.

Board members discussed schedule (Mitchell anticipates work to start soon after the new year) and reiterated that these projects are financed from utility revenues and state grants where applicable.

What’s next: County staff will finalize contracts following the bid award and begin project mobilization as funding and state grant conditions allow.