What is with the pipeline in North Myrtle Beach? Here is an update and what to know.
As part of North Myrtle Beach’s Stormwater Outfall Program, construction on a stormwater pipeline at 18th Avenue North has been ongoing since January.
With the street’s beach access closed, along with a pier built in order to accommodate the construction equipment, here is what to know about the pipeline’s progress and plans.
When will the pipeline construction end?
In North Myrtle Beach’s press release from the start of the project, the pipeline, or what they call the “ocean outfall” aimed to be completed in one year. This would mean that the pipeline would be in place January 2024.
Based on the project’s schedule, it is still on track to be done by January, according to Dana Hamilton, project manager and engineer in North Myrtle Beach Public Works. He said the pipeline is about 40-45% complete, and praises the project for being safe and “interesting” to beach-goers.
“As people are on the beach more and more, they are sitting around watching and just in awe of the operation out there,” Hamilton said.
Not only are people watching the pipeline being built, but they are shelling next to the construction, as the digging required to build the pipeline has unearthed many shells and shark’s teeth and carried them to shore.
Once the pipeline is ready, beach access on 18th and 16th Avenue North will open back up after the contractor leaves, Hamilton added.
The pipeline, which is the Stormwater Outfall Program’s sixth project, has cost the city $35 million.
What is the pipeline supposed to do?
The goal of the pipeline is to move the existing stormwater pipes off the main beach in order to prevent beach erosion and ensure healthy water quality in locations people are likely to swim. The new pipeline is set to be 12,000 feet, Hamilton said, therefore, stormwater will be deposited further out in the Atlantic.
Myrtle Beach has four pipelines that extend into the deep ocean, which have resulted in a decrease in swimming advisories, The Sun News reported in September.
Stormwater is rain or melted snow that flows over the ground, according to American Rivers. In urban or developed areas like North Myrtle Beach, stormwater becomes polluted runoff due to oil and pollutants from pavement mixing with the stormwater. The polluted stormwater usually flows into nearby rivers and streams, or travels through a pipe to be dropped off in a larger body of water.
Stormwater can also cause sewage overflows, American Rivers says, which sends pollutants like pathogens, excess nutrients and heavy metals into bodies of water.
What about that pier?
In order to supply a place for the cranes, trucks and other construction equipment at 18th Avenue North, a pier was constructed. Hamilton said that once the project is complete, the pier will be dismantled.
