The City of Saluda’s Laurel Drive lift station project should begin soon after commissioners unanimously approved the low bidder for $147,815.

The Saluda Board of Commissioners met July 11 and approved the low bid from Dillard Excavating.

Dillard was the low bidder by more than $37,000. The city received three total bids with other bids received from Hyatt Pipeline LLC at $184,977 and Buckeye Bridge LLC at $190,720.

Commissioner Stan Walker asked city manager Jon Cannon if he did any checking with previous customers on Dillard prior to the board approving the bid.

Cannon said Dillard has done work recently for Tryon and they were pleased. Cannon said there was nothing evident about their quality of work in other areas either.

Saluda borrowed $150,000 from its fund balance to pay for upgrades to the lift station. The city announced recently that it was seeing a $2,100 per month reduction in monthly water purchases to the City of Hendersonville, Saluda’s water source, after discovering a broken water line on Greenville Street. Commissioners said the decrease in water purchases will help the city to fund needed repairs to its water system.

Saluda earlier this year approved a capital improvement plan with approximately $2 million worth of needed repairs to its system. In order to pay back a loan to do all repairs as well as pay back the city’s fund balance for the Laurel Drive lift station repairs, Saluda increased its water and sewer rates.

The Laurel Drive lift station will include the replacement of the discharge line from the lift station to the corner of Hwy. 176 and Ozone Drive, which is approximately 4,000 feet. Other repairs to the Laurel Drive lift station include to its plumbing and electrical systems and adding a notification system. Eventually, the city plans to replace the entire Laurel Drive lift station.

Saluda is applying for a loan from the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) for approximately $2 million to complete a total of 14 water and sewer projects.

Water and sewer rate increases were approved earlier this year with additional increased already approved to begin in years 2017 and 2018 in order to pay for the projects.

The Laurel Drive lift station project should begin this summer.