During its annual review of The Sanitary Board of the City of Charleston’s Capital Improvement Plan, B&N identified the Porter Hollow and Mark Drive Lift Stations as priorities for rehabilitation. Aging equipment, deteriorated concrete structures, hydraulic constraints and maintenance challenges created a need for improvements that would strengthen system reliability, operational efficiency and long-term asset management.
Under its General Engineering Services Agreement, B&N provided design, bidding and construction phase services for improvements to both lift stations. The team began with site investigations, topographic surveying, utility coordination and evaluation of rehabilitation alternatives to identify practical, construction-ready solutions.
At both lift stations, improvements included rehabilitation of the wet well and dry well structures, replacement of pumps and process piping, new forcemain piping, a permanent bypass pumping connection, and replacement of deteriorated valves and related components. At Porter Hollow, B&N also designed a new gravity sewer segment to improve hydraulic performance.
Additional improvements included ventilation and odor-control modifications, electrical service upgrades, SCADA integration, safety enhancements and site restoration. To protect ongoing service to the Charleston community, the project incorporated temporary bypass pumping systems that maintained uninterrupted wastewater service during construction.
B&N prepared complete construction plans, technical specifications, engineer’s cost estimates and bidding documents for a single construction contract.
Key project services included:
- Site investigations and topographic surveying
- Utility coordination
- Evaluation of conceptual rehabilitation alternatives
- Pump sizing and system performance assessments
- Preliminary and final construction cost estimating
- Preparation of plans, specifications and bidding documents
- Construction administration and resident project representation
- Construction inspection, startup and commissioning support
- Project closeout services
Throughout design and construction, B&N maintained close coordination with the Sanitary Board through regular progress meetings and biweekly status updates. During bidding, the team prepared bid documents, conducted the pre-bid meeting, responded to contractor questions, issued addenda, assisted with bid evaluation and supported contract award.
From planning through commissioning, B&N provided continuous engineering support to help the Sanitary Board advance critical infrastructure improvements. The rehabilitated lift stations strengthen wastewater system reliability, improve long-term operations and help support dependable service for the Charleston community.