CIP-2312 Fire Hydrant Rehab & Replacement

The Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority (BJWSA), a political subdivision of South Carolina serving Barnwell County and surrounding municipalities, is soliciting competitive bids through Invitation for Bids (IFB) 2026-IFB-024 for the replacement of approximately 15 fire hydrants located throughout its service area. The procurement encompasses the complete removal of existing hydrants and installation of new contractor-supplied hydrants, hydrant isolation valves where required, piping appurtenances, and comprehensive site restoration work including road repaving, restriping, erosion control, and traffic control measures. All work must comply with BJWSA Technical Specifications and Details, Chapter 7 Water System Standards, and standard detail drawings, with SCDOT encroachment permits to be obtained by BJWSA. Bidders must submit a lump sum price for all 15 hydrant replacements and related work by May 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM EST electronically via the BJWSA Procurement Portal, with a deadline for submitting questions by May 4, 2026 at 4:00 PM EST. All work must be completed and billed by January 31, 2027. Award will be made to the responsive and responsible bidder with the lowest total cost, contingent upon meeting pass/fail qualification criteria including appropriate bonding capacity, insurance coverage, and valid South Carolina contractor licensing. Qualified bidders must demonstrate Commercial General Liability insurance of $1,000,000, Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, Workers' Compensation of $500,000, and Employers Liability coverage, with BJWSA named as an additional insured for eight years from substantial completion.

The procurement includes mandatory Small and Minority Business Enterprise (SMBE) good faith effort requirements; contractors self-performing 100 percent of work need only submit a self-performance affidavit, while those utilizing subcontractors must send written notice at least 15 calendar days prior to the bid deadline to specified agencies and potential SMBEs. Bidders must comply with South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act requirements, submit Experience Modifier Rates and Health and Safety Plans, and provide a list of at least three client references along with acknowledgment of any addenda and non-collusion statements. No pre-bid conference or site visit is scheduled, though detailed asset location maps identifying all 15 specific hydrant replacement sites by street address and reference number are provided in the procurement documents. No incumbent vendor or current contractor information is identified in the available solicitation materials. While a specific budget range or award value is not explicitly stated in the procurement documents, the scope encompasses comprehensive infrastructure replacement work across multiple municipal jurisdictions with a completion deadline of January 31, 2027.