Major stormwater pipe repair planned in Dewey Beach

The Dewey Beach infrastructure committee voted unanimously Dec. 1 to recommend town commissioners spend up to $478,000 to reline or reconstruct stormwater pipes on McKinley and Bayard avenues.

Kevin Zelinsky of Remington & Vernick Engineers provided two options to the committee. 

On McKinley Avenue, some pipes were completely packed with debris and unable to be assessed, Zelinsky said; other pipes needed to be cleaned to be assessed. During cleaning, the integrity of the pipe started to degrade, so workers ceased operations to prevent further damage or a road collapse, Zelinsky said. 

If pipes on McKinley are suitable for relining, the cost would be $135,000, and if they need to be removed and replaced, the cost would be $253,000 on pipes stretching from the highway to the bay, Zelinsky said.

The cost to remove, replace and reconstruct pipes on Bayard and McKinley avenues would be $478,000, including necessary permits from Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Zelinsky said; if only relining is needed, the cost would be $225,000.

Infrastructure committee member Jack Redefer said the project wouldn’t prevent flooding but would direct water where it belongs. He asked if the town would save money by having pipes on both streets relined or replaced at the same time; Zelinsky said that would generate cost savings but he wasn’t sure of the exact figure.

“I gotta tell you,” infrastructure committee member Dale Cooke said, “we’d be crazy, as long as we have a significant amount of money left over, not to approve the whole thing all at one time.”

Town Manager Bill Zolper said the town currently has $573,000 in the infrastructure budget. 

The outfall at the marsh end of McKinley Avenue probably needs to be reconstructed, Zelinsky said. Right now, the pipe is full and not carrying any water through the outfall to the bay, he said. 

Infrastructure Chair Jim Tyler questioned whether that outfall could be abandoned and another created farther from the marsh. During discussion, Zelinsky and the committee concluded that would not work because flooding in the marsh has worsened over the years while the outfall became filled with debris.

The outfall used to be in working condition, said Zelinsky; he told the committee that after the work is concluded, pipes need to be checked quarterly and cleaned at least twice a year.

Normal maintenance and upkeep should be covered in the yearly budget, Cooke said. For stormwater drain maintenance, the town plans to request assistance from the county or the City of Rehoboth Beach, Zolper said.

Town commissioners must vote to authorize the project, Town Counsel Fred Townsend said. The next meeting is set for 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 17; an agenda has not yet been posted.

In a related action, town commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 19 to approve an ordinance requiring that any new construction or demolition disturbing the land area use erosion-control measures as directed by the town building official. 

Both Rehoboth and Dewey have strong erosion-control procedures in place, said Commissioner David Jasinski, who proposed the ordinance, while Dewey had none. The ordinance will help prevent storm drains from being clogged by construction runoff, he said.

Dewey commissioners also voted unanimously Nov. 19 to approve usage of up to $27,000 in infrastructure funds to repair three outfalls on the bay side of Read Avenue. Commissioners voted Dec. 2 to use American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for the project instead.