Pump Station Could be Eliminated in $10M Drainage Plan

AVALON – Borough Engineer Thomas Thornton updated Avalon Borough Council on potential changes to the conceptual design of the north end drainage project June 26.
The projected $10 million project would revamp the systems which drain water from major rain events, like those experienced in 2005, 2009, and 2017, when several feet of water collected in the area, defeating the aging infrastructure in place.
The original plan first presented to council in 2018 called for enhancements to the pump stations at 11th and 22nd streets, larger pipes for use in the water collection and outflow processes, and changes to the outflow systems, one of which runs through the dunes from 22nd Street and the other through the seawall and out to the inlet just north of the 8th Street jetty.
Flooding in the borough’s north end has become a serious problem as major rain events have become more frequent. The typology of the area, described by Thornton as an ”elongated bowl,” holds water from major storms until the drainage system and the pumps can remove it. Without intervention “there is nowhere for the water to go.”
Moving water out quickly by using more powerful pumps and larger drainage pipes comes with a high price tag. As the engineers continued their design work after the 2018 presentation, they were aware of the need to lower construction costs if possible.
Thornton’s update proposed to do just that.
Through greater use of gravity vs. forced main systems, running a box culvert along the dunes from 27th Street to either the 11th Street pump station or directly to the 8th Street jetty and an even greater increase in the size of the 11th Street pump station infrastructure, Thornton proposed “doing away with the 22nd Street pump station altogether.”
Such a move would eliminate the dependence on an outflow pipe which runs through the dunes to discharge water to the oceanfront.
Greater use of gravity to move water through the collection system also helps reduce construction costs, Thornton said.
The benefits of the altered proposal include the elimination of one pump station, reductions in construction and maintenance costs, cleaner beaches after the elimination of discharge from 22nd Street, and a new ability of the homeowners around the 22nd Street pump station to underground their utility connections if they desire to do so.
Thornton did not present new cost figures. He noted, “This is only an update. We still have a formal report to complete.”
Council member Nancy Hudanich reminded her colleagues and the public there is a lot to consider in the proposed design changes. She was particularly concerned to fully understand the potential impact of the long box culvert on the dunes.
Thornton said the final report would come before council for approval in July. If council then authorizes a detailed design effort, Thornton expects that effort would be completed by December, which would allow the borough to begin the process of seeking the federal and state permits.
Thornton projected completion of the first phase of a three-phase project by September 2021, with the remaining two segments of the effort complete in subsequent one-year intervals. The final completion date would be September 2023.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.