Major project wraps at site with smaller scale repairs still looming in near future

By Greg Ellison

(July 8, 2021) With the initial round of drainage repairs at Bainbridge Pond completed, Ocean Pines officials are now looking to replace associated piping running underneath three adjacent roadways this fall.

General Manager John Viola said contractor EQR has finished retrofitting Bainbridge Pond to improve water quality and to boost outfall capacity.

“They’ve basically completed the contract for the pond,” he said. “All the filtrations, that’s all completed.”

Viola said the project was financed primarily through a grant of more than $480,000 from the Department of Natural Resources to address flooding and groundwater overflow.

The Bainbridge project was originally intended to increase downstream flow through swales and ditches to alleviate pond overflows, which drift towards homes west of the park.

“It’s really a filtration project,” he said.

The work completed by EQR sought to bring Bainbridge in compliance with Maryland pond regulations.

Upgrades included installing both a smaller pond in front of Bainbridge Pond and wetland aquatic benches, which are plants used to assist water filtration.

In addition to the grant, Ocean Pines previously reallocated $325,000 intended for road repairs to aid the effort, for an overall budget of just over $800,000.

“If you just take what’s completed now, that’s filtration,” he said.

Viola said the total cost for EQR’s work is about $550,000, with a second phase planned to replace culvert piping underneath Sandyhook, Pinehurst and Beaconhill roads.

“We’ll start bidding that out,” he said.

The pipe work, originally intended for EQR to handle, hit a hurdle after underground utility lines were located.

“There are many utilities along those roads that are affecting putting in the pipes,” he said. “Those utilities have to be moved and, because of that, we also have to use different size pipes.”

A larger number of smaller capacity pipes are now required to circumvent the various water and sewer lines running below the three roads.

Estimated costs are up to $75,000 to relocate the utilities, with pipe installations running about $100,000.

“We’ll start after Labor Day. If we get someone in there right away, we’ll be done by October,” he said.

Bainbridge Pond affects roughly 12 percent of the Ocean Pines community with filtration upgrades that are anticipated to reduce total nitrogen by 1,535 pounds, phosphorous by 174 pounds and total suspended solids by 90 tons annually.

While the first phase focused on filtration issues, the pipe work should improve drainage.

“It’s existing drainage that we’re going to make better, so it helps some,” he said.

Viola said the Bainbridge work is one part of a larger effort to address drainage and flooding problems, which also includes maintaining ditches free of debris.

“It’s drainage updating and maintenance,” he said. “It’s one small piece, but it’s one more step in the right direction.”