Soco Sewer Line:

This project covers the last 2 miles of Soco Creek with sewer line.  The existing sewer line is inadequate to handle the new flow that will be coming from the Casino expansion and new housing from Rough Branch down through U.S. Highway 19 and the Wolftown and Painttown communities.  The sewer line will begin at or near the Wendy’s in Cherokee and follow Soco Creek past Food Lion on to where it meets the Oconaluftee River.  Presently the sewer line is 12 inches and in some places 10 inches in diameter.  The new sewer line will be 36 inches in diameter to handle the new load and decrease current from surcharging through the current manholes.  The project is finishing its design phase and will be going out to bid in the coming months.  Prospective general contractors may check this site often or the FTP site under the heading of contractors to see if an RFP or plans have been posted.  Plans will be posted on this site to increase distribution efficiency and decrease cost to the general contractors.  This project is federal funded by the United States Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration.  Bids will still be required to follow TERO guidelines.  The bids will have to follow certain EDA guidelines as well.  Each general contractor will be responsible for submitting to the Tribe a certified payroll and comply with current rules and regulations regarding the Davis-Bacon Act.  We are encouraging firms with large project experience to submit bid packages.  This line will be approximately 10-thousand linear feet.  We will follow the similar path that has already been forded by the previous line.  However some new ground may be covered with this project.  As we speak, new easements and right of ways for construction and operation and maintenance are being requested from property owners.