Butler County launches design procurement for 42-inch Hamilton-Beckett Ridge water main
Butler County Department of Environmental Services, Ohio · Meeting date: October 20, 2026 · Published: October 21, 2026
Butler County commissioners approved an RFP for design of what the county administrator described as the most significant project of her career: rehabilitation of a 42-inch main running from the City of Hamilton to the Beckett Ridge Pump Station. The decision came as the board set a 90-day target for a plan addressing water and sewer leadership vacancies and requested staffing.
Key points
- The county will seek qualified firms to design rehabilitation of a 42-inch, approximately 5.3-mile water main; proposals are due November 20, 2026.
- The project is intended to convey water from Hamilton directly to the Beckett Ridge Pump Station, bypassing the Rialto Pump Station.
- Commissioners said department operations and water and sewer service remain secure, but called for a plan within 90 days on leadership vacancies and staffing needs.
- The board also approved a separate construction engineering design-services contract with The Kleingers Group, capped at $51,500, and a $79,267.50 public fire-hydrant painting contract with Giant Maintenance and Restoration.
Full report
Butler County has begun the procurement process for design of rehabilitation works on a 42-inch water main linking the City of Hamilton with the Beckett Ridge Pump Station, approving an RFP for what county administrator Judi Boyko called the most significant project of her career.
The rehabilitation scheme concerns an approximately 5.3-mile main that connects Hamilton to the county system in the West Chester and Fairfield-area network. Boyko said the project would bypass the Rialto Pump Station and deliver water to Beckett Ridge “more efficiently and effectively and productively for the customers.” Qualified firms have until November 20 to submit proposals under RFP/Q BCWS-2026-10-01.
The commissioners approved the solicitation as part of the water and sewer department resolutions. The board also authorised a separate contract with The Kleingers Group for construction engineering design services, with a value not to exceed $51,500 and a term from October 21 through December 31, 2026. No value or construction schedule for the 42-inch rehabilitation was stated.
The procurement prompted a wider discussion on the county water and sewer department’s management and resourcing. Commissioner Cindy Carpenter said the temporary director had identified vacant leadership positions and requested nine additional roles during the prior day’s budget hearing. Carpenter said she wanted a clearer hiring plan, particularly given the scale of the proposed transmission-main work and references to rising water-main breaks.
Commissioner Donald Dixon said operational crews and contracted support meant there was no immediate threat to water delivery or sewer service, but acknowledged the challenge of recruiting qualified engineering and leadership personnel. Board president T.C. Rogers said the county would consider its options after a report from the administrator.
Boyko said the department was meeting Ohio EPA permit standards and that its operations staff continued to provide water and sanitary-sewer services. She said the county had supplemented internal engineering resources through outsourcing, describing a combination of in-house staff and external specialist support as its operating model. The 42-inch project itself would be fully outsourced to a firm with the required expertise, she said.
Following the exchange, Rogers set a 90-day deadline for a staffing and leadership action plan. Boyko said she and the temporary director had scheduled work to develop responses to the commissioners’ concerns.
Separately, the board approved a $79,267.50 contract with Giant Maintenance and Restoration for a public fire-hydrant painting project running from October 21, 2026 to February 29, 2028.
This summary was generated by AI based on the source document and may contain errors.
Source: Butler County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting - Web Outline - Butler County, OH, Butler County Department of Environmental Services