It’s going to require a little give-and-take among town officials and environmental groups in two different towns, in two different counties, to solve the flooding problem in Old Orchard Beach.

According to a report issued by the independent engineering firm Milone & MacBroom of Newcastle, part of the solution to recurring flooding along Jones Creek in Old Orchard Beach could be in Scarborough.

Hydraulic engineer James MacBroom, senior vice president of Milone & MacBroom, told the Old Orchard Beach town council during a presentation last week that the flooding problem in Old Orchard Beach is three-fold, and will require the cooperation of the town, the state, the town of Scarborough and the owners of the railroad.

According to MacBroom, the three major causes of flooding on the eastern end of Old Orchard Beach are coastal flooding, freshwater flooding and a rise in the level of groundwater due to increased precipitation, higher tides and a higher sea level, which is projected to rise 2 feet over the next 100 years.

The area most affected by this is what Nicolle Burnham, an engineer with Milone & MacBroom, described as “the basin area” between Walnut, Milliken and Foote streets in Old Orchard Beach.

When the groundwater rises, it threatens homes and condominiums – the Davenport complex on Walnut Street and Tidewater Lofts on Milliken Street – and compromises Walnut Street, a major evacuation route out of downtown Old Orchard Beach, she said.

Burnham said the real problem is not the clogged stormwater drainage channels along Walnut Street, but culverts on Walnut Street in Old Orchard Beach and under the railroad tracks and Depot Street in Scarborough that are set so high they don’t allow the Jones Creek marsh to drain completely at low tide.

The draft report of the flood abatement study issued by the firm recommends an infrastructural improvement plan to the tune of $4.8 million, with almost $4 million recommended in Scarborough, and includes replacing, resetting and/or installing additional culverts at those three locations.

Burnham also recommended that Old Orchard Beach consider raising Walnut Street at least a foot, which would reduce the frequency of flooding on the road. The cost would total approximately half of the more than $800,000 recommended for improvements along Walnut Street.

She also suggested physically raising buildings along the affected streets, at a cost to private home and business owners not listed in the report.

See the July 27 issue of the Sun Chronicle for the full story.