Pump and Bypass Operations

The City of Seattle is soliciting bids from qualified vendors to provide mobilization, setup, operation, monitoring, and demobilization of pump and bypass systems for drainage and wastewater conveyance. These services are required for both planned events, such as King Tides, and unplanned emergencies. The selected vendor will coordinate closely with the City, supply skilled crews with proper PPE, and use equipment capable of transporting and operating multiple sized pump and bypass units. Vendors must be capable of rapid deployment, including participation in pre-event planning and decision meetings for King Tide events.

Seattle is vulnerable to flooding risks from seasonal heavy rains, infrastructure failures, and King Tides, which can push seawater into storm drains and low-lying neighborhoods such as South Park and the Duwamish River corridor. To address these challenges, the City maintains bypass pumps requiring specialized handling, setup, and monitoring. Deployments often occur in constrained public rights-of-way and require coordination with traffic control and safety protocols to minimize disruption in residential and commercial areas. The City anticipates an annual expenditure of approximately $350,000 under the resulting contract to ensure the City has a qualified vendor ready to rapidly mobilize, operate, and demobilize pump and bypass systems, strengthening the City’s readiness and resilience against high-water and emergency events.