Downing Creek Lift Station Improvement Project

The City of Durham Department of Water Management is requesting sealed bids for the Downing Creek Lift Station Improvement Project, with bids due July 23, 2026 and a non-mandatory pre-bid conference on July 8 (in-person and virtual options via Microsoft Teams). Bidders must be licensed as North Carolina General Contractors under Chapter 87 of the North Carolina General Statutes and must demonstrate the ability to complete a minimum of 60% of contract work using their own equipment and personnel.

M/WBE participation goals are set at 11% for minority-owned businesses and 7% for women-owned businesses. The scope includes conversion of the existing lift station to duplex submersible configuration, installation of a new polymer concrete wet well, grinder and grinder basin, controls replacement, standby emergency generator and chemical feed system, and approximately 125 linear feet of gravity sewer with manholes to realign the sewer entering the station. The project is located at 1 Benwick Court, Durham, North Carolina.

The contract is priced on a unit-price basis with six bid line items. Two allowance line items are specified: odor control at $131,700 and SCADA systems at $149,867. Bid security of 5% of the bid amount is required (cash, certified check, or bid bond). The contractor must substantially complete all work within 180 consecutive calendar days and fully complete within 210 consecutive calendar days from Notice to Proceed, with liquidated damages of $1,250 per day for failure to achieve substantial completion on schedule.

All work must conform to City of Durham standards, NCDOT standards, and North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources erosion and sediment control standards. Bidders must submit non-collusion affidavits, UBE participation forms, past safety performance documentation including OSHA DART rates and Experience Modification Rates, and three representative projects completed within the past five years demonstrating similar work experience. Complete contract documents are available for $250 per set (non-refundable) from Highfill Infrastructure Engineering in Cary, North Carolina, or may be viewed free of charge by appointment at the Department of Water Management.