Boro will upgrade stormwater pumps
BY AMANDA BELING Staff Writer

SEA BRIGHT - As part of the Downtown Infrastructure Improvement Program (DIIP), the borough plans to install permanent submersible pumps at the end of Center and Beach streets.

"We've had temporary pumps for too long and we're in need of new pumps, so I'm glad to see we're moving forward on this," said Councilwoman Dina Long at the council meeting Oct. 2.

Engineer Eric Betz, of Hatch Mott MacDonald, said the temporary pumps the borough uses are diesel pumps that are brought out every time there is a storm so water can be pumped out of the streets.

"They do help, but they're not helping as much as they need to. When the river water comes up, it's finding its way over the bulkheads, and these pumps don't pump as fast as the new ones will. The other issue is that they are a nuisance to the residents because they're very loud," he said.

"The lowest areas in the borough include Center, Beach, New, Surf and Front streets. These all flood when there are storms and they are our main priority," said Councilwoman Maria Fernandes.

Fernandes noted that the DIIP project is being funded partially by grants and partially through bonds.

She said the original estimated cost of the pump project was $600,000, which included generators, engineering work and the pumps.

"Since we're doing the project without generators, the cost will definitely be less," she said.

In the event of a storm, she noted that the temporary pumps will suffice as back-up pumps if there is a power failure and the new pumps don't go on.

"The pumps we're proposing are electric powered and the pump and the motor are water resistant and can be submerged in water," said Betz.

He noted that manholes will be excavated toward the end of Center and Beach streets, and there will be a chamber underneath for the pumps.

"There will be two pumps to a chamber, so there are going to be four pumps installed altogether. The pumps will be connected to the new stormwater system that is being constructed under the DIIP project," said Betz.

He noted that the pump chambers would be adjacent to the stormwater system and will collect the water from the existing system and pump it into the river.

"The capacity of the pumps will be greater so they will be able to pump more water out at a faster rate," Betz said.

Fernandes said the DIIP project involves replacing some of the pipes in the downtown area.

"Some of them are smaller pipes and they need to be made larger in order to relieve flooding in that area. We're also going to put two new bulkheads at the end of Center and Beach streets, and we're going to be making Beach Street wider by a total of a foot, by removing 6 inches of the sidewalk on the north and south sides," she said.

Long noted that she is concerned about not having generators installed with the pumps, but that the main priority is getting the pumps installed.

"I'm a worrier, so I like to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, and with this plan we're not prepared for the worstcase scenario without generators. Our main focus, however, is getting the water out of the streets, and we just need to get the pumps in," she said.

"The pumps down in Avalon [Borough] don't have any generators, and we felt that the current doesn't go down in the downtown area that often. For aesthetic reasons it would also be better to not have generators for the time being. By doing it this way, we can put pumps at the end of Center and Beach streets. Down the road, if we decide that we're having a lot of power failures, we could add the generators at that point," said Fernandes.

She noted that the borough has received one Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) permit, but borough Engineer David Hoder still needs to have it amended by the DEP after the changes that were made at the meeting.