North Myrtle Beach is close to completing its more than $9.5million and two year outfall construction project.
The project consolidates several runoff pipes that deposited into swim zones into one large pipe that stretches 1,200 ft underground into the ocean.
City spokesperson Pat Dowling says the improvements will make it safer to swim in the ocean.
“If we continue to allow the pipes that the state built onto the beach for stormwater drainage when they built Ocean Boulevard to be there, we’ll continue to have bacteria surges in our swim zone,” he said.
Dowling says the cost of the outfall project passed the city’s original estimate of $9.5 million.
The city previously invested about $15 million to remove stormwater pipes, which brings the total cost about to around $25 million dollars.
Dowling says it is worth it.
“We won’t have those days where we face national headlines that say beach closed due to bacteria,” he said.
A few more weeks of work remain including road paving around Ocean Boulevard.
Dowling says construction will wrap up by the end of May.
