Town of Benson -RFQ 05-2026 – LEAD SERVICE LINE INVENTORY COMPLETION

The Town of Benson is seeking written proposals from qualified and experienced utility and underground construction contractors to complete the locating and material identification service for the town's Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) program.

The town has completed historical record reviews and visual identification for approximately 87% of its estimated 2,000 total water service connections. This contract specifically covers the field verification and material identification of the remaining 253 unknown service lines.

The selected Contractor shall furnish all equipment, tools, safety/traffic control, and labor necessary to complete the lead service line inventory verification in strict accordance with the project criteria, applicable North Carolina Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) rules, DWSRF requirements, and town guidelines.

Work will occur at various designated utility service connections distributed across the Town of Benson water service area. A project map indicating the targeted work zones is provided as Attachment B.

• **Identification Methods:** Work shall consist of physical potholing and excavations utilizing either specialized vacuum excavation (soft dig) or localized mechanical excavation to safely expose and determine the exact material composition of the piping and fittings present.
• **Site Restoration:** All excavations must be immediately backfilled, compacted, and left close to or exceeding previous conditions. Dirt surfaces must be graded, stabilized, and seeded with grass seed appropriate to match existing lawns or rights-of-way.
• **Infrastructure Damage & Cuts:** Any work deemed destructive to town streets, public sidewalks, or private driveways must be pre-approved and closely coordinated with the Utility Compliance Supervisor (UCS). Asphalt or concrete replacement standards must comply with town specifications and be coordinated directly through the UCS.
• **Data Logging & Reporting:** The Contractor must precisely document the location of each excavation, the address, and the pipe material identified. This data must be submitted directly to the UCS in a format fully compatible with the NC DEQ Lead Service Line Inventory template and tracking software. Reports shall be submitted at intervals determined at the discretion of the UCS.
• **Working Hours:** Permitted operational hours are 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Any work requested outside of these standard hours requires written authorization from the town.

Contractors must submit pricing using a dual-structure format: a Lump Sum Base Bid and a Time & Materials (T&M) Rate Sheet.

**Bonds:** Bid, performance, and payment bonds are not required for this contract.

**Retainage:** The town will withhold a 5% retainage from progress payments until 50% of the project scope is successfully completed and approved.

**Bid Opening:** Bids will be opened and read aloud November 17, 2026, 10:00 AM in conference room of Benson town hall. Late bids will not be accepted. The Town reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

The successful bidder will be required to execute a standard Town of Benson Service Contract prior to the issuance of a Notice to Proceed.

**Insurance:** The Town of Benson must be explicitly named as an Additional Insured on the General Liability and Automobile policies, and a valid Certificate of Insurance (COI) must be submitted before work commences.

• Commercial General Liability (CGL): **$1,000,000** per occurrence / **$2,000,000** general aggregate.
• Automobile Liability: **$1,000,000** Combined Single Limit (CSL).
• Employers' Liability: **$1,000,000** minimum limits.

Bidders must submit the *Pre-Bid Insurance & Compliance Sign-Off Form* alongside their technical and pricing proposals.