Steven Ricker

Steven Ricker serves as Project Manager for the Water & Sewer Agency of Dorchester County, South Carolina, where he leads the planning, solicitation, and execution of infrastructure procurement initiatives critical to public health and environmental compliance. In this primary contracting role, he oversees the full lifecycle of capital improvement projects, from needs assessment and RFQ development to contract award and performance monitoring. His acquisitions are exclusively focused on water and wastewater infrastructure, ensuring alignment with state and federal regulatory standards, including EPA mandates for system resilience and operational continuity. Ricker’s work directly supports the agency’s mission to modernize aging distribution and collection networks across unincorporated areas. Ricker collaborates with a network of qualified contractors specializing in civil construction, pipeline installation, and hydraulic system rehabilitation. While no single contractor dominates his award portfolio, he consistently engages firms with proven experience in trenchless technology, reinforced concrete conduit installation, and pump station modernization. His procurement approach emphasizes technical competency, past performance, and adherence to ANSI and AWWA standards, fostering long-term partnerships with contractors who demonstrate reliability in high-compliance environments. Ricker’s contracting activity reflects a strict preference for open competition, with 100% of procurements designated as “No Set-Aside.” He does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead focusing on technical merit and capacity to deliver complex infrastructure work. This approach ensures access to the broadest possible pool of qualified vendors capable of meeting the agency’s stringent engineering and safety requirements. His primary procurement focus is NAICS 237110—Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction—encompassing new pipeline laying, rehabilitation of gravity sewers, stormwater conveyance systems, and associated appurtenances. He specializes in procuring services involving HDPE pipe fusion, CCTV inspection, directional drilling, and sanitary sewer overflow mitigation, demonstrating deep expertise in municipal waterworks engineering and construction delivery models.