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

The Town of Benson is soliciting lump-sum proposals from licensed utility and underground construction contractors to perform material identification for approximately 253 unknown water service lines as part of its Lead Service Line Replacement program. The scope of work involves using soft-dig vacuum excavation or mechanical potholing to expose and photograph piping and fittings, followed by immediate site restoration including backfilling, compaction, and seeding. All identified data must be submitted in a format compatible with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) Lead Service Line Inventory template. This project is funded by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and is subject to strict federal and state regulatory oversight. Mandatory requirements include compliance with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage tracking, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Build America, Buy America (BABA) and American Iron and Steel (AIS) provisions. Contractors must maintain specific insurance limits, including 1 million dollars for Commercial General Liability, Automobile Liability, and Workers Compensation, and must provide a signed Pre-Bid Insurance and Compliance Sign-off Form to be considered responsive. Proposals must be submitted by November 20, 2026, via the North Carolina Electronic Vendor Portal or as a sealed written proposal. The pricing structure requires a lump-sum base bid for primary identification and reporting, supplemented by a time and materials rate sheet for authorized extra work. Payment terms are Net 30 days, with a 5 percent retainage withheld until 50 percent of the project scope is successfully completed and approved. The Town of Benson, NC DEQ, and the EPA Office of Inspector General maintain explicit right-of-access for site inspections and audits.