OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Preliminary design work will be done later this year for a proposed sewer project in the Old Campground Neighborhood.

The public works department  staff conducted cleaning and camera inspections of sewer lines in many of the streets near Evergreen Avenue in what is commonly referred to as the Old Campground Neighborhood. The neighborhood is densely populated with older homes along narrow streets. 

Public Works staff identified several structural problems in the sewer lines in this area, according to town documents. Residents in this neighborhood have also reported sewer issues including plugged lines. 

The town intends to seek bids in the next fiscal year for a section of this neighborhood that includes 8th and 9th streets and parts of Evergreen Avenue and 11th Street.

The layout of the neighborhood, with its narrow streets and dense development, poses some challenges when thinking of any sewer repair work, and town officials say engineering design work needs to be conducted before making any plans to go out to bid for sewer repair work. 

 The Town Council last week approved the town spend up to $32,000 for engineering firm Wright Pierce to conduct engineering design work for the proposed project.  

According to the town from officials at Wright Pierce, the design engineering and bidding services will include coordinating with a local surveyor and utility companies to get information on the project area, creating a proposed location for the new sewer line, and meeting with town staff to review preliminary drawings and details.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].