Woodmont Beach in Milford is a breeding area for horseshoe crabs and blue mussels, but it’s also home to a nearly 50-year-old stormwater drainage system that’s threatening to flood streets surrounding the beach.
Milford is receiving $750,000 in federal funding to repair the drainage system on Belmont Street.
The majority of the crumbling drainage system, more than 250 feet, now sits below the average high tide line, according to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
“This is a need. It's a necessity. It's the infrastructure that allows this borough to be able to flourish and those homes to be safe,” DeLauro said. “A flood or a preventable disaster is the last thing that families or our local businesses need while they're trying to make ends meet.”
The system prevents stormwater from causing erosion and flooding the area, according to John Barrett, senior burgess for the borough of Woodmont.
“Where you see storm drains here, those storm drains are served by that groin down there. If that collapses and backfills, it's floating up in the streets, going through your yards, going into your basement,” Barrett said.
Several hundred homes are protected by the drainage system from storm-related flooding, Barrett said. The repairs are a preemptive measure and no flooding has been reported.
Engineering work for the project is complete and it’s shovel-ready, but with the funding so newly announced, there is no current timeline for construction.
Milford is one of the municipalities at greatest risk of the impact of climate change on shorelines, according to Mayor Richard Smith.
“Being the longest shoreline in Connecticut, we are acutely aware of the challenges that faces and Storm Sandy is a perfect example,” Smith said. “We have the 100-year storm and the 500-year storm every fourth year these days, so we can't take anything for granted.”
