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After 40 Years, Local, County and State Cooperation Breathes New Life Into Stormwater Pump Station

Feb 29, 2016

Ventnor, NJ – Local officials and area residents will celebrate the reopening of the Ventnor Gardens Plaza stormwater pump station on Friday, March 4 at 11 a.m. The facility, which has sat dormant since the early 1970s, is once again operational, thanks to mutli-agency collaboration that brought Ventnor, Margate, Atlantic County government, Atlantic County Utilities Authority and the NJ Infrastructure Trust together on the project.

“It’s been a longtime coming, but we couldn’t be happier that this project is finally complete,” said Ventnor Mayor Mike Bagnell. “The residents in this part of the city have been very patient waiting for us to address the flooding issues.”

The Ventnor Gardens Plaza Stormwater pump station, located at the end of Ventnor Gardens Plaza and Wissahickon Avenue near the intercoastal waterway, will help alleviate flooding in areas of Ventnor and Margate. Much of the stormwater in the area flows under Ventnor streets and empties into bay at the location of the pump station. Because the pump station stopped working many years ago, water from storm events, coupled with high tides, causes backups onto city streets. The area along Monmouth Avenue between Fredericksburg and Melbourne Avenues, which is especially prone to flooding, is expected to see relief now that the facility is operational. It is also expected to reduce flooding along Ventnor Avenue, a county roadway.

“Flooding in this northern section of Margate, especially along Winchester and Monmouth Avenues, has been a problem for some time,” said Margate Mayor Mike Becker. “Given the capacity of the new pumps and the volume of stormwater that they can move, we’re expecting to see an improvement during the next storm event,” Becker added.

Ventnor was the lead agency on the $1.5 million project, which was funded through the New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust. Ventnor, Margate and Atlantic County government shared the construction costs and ACUA provided “in-kind” engineering services.

“This is a great example of cooperation among local governments to address a problem and bring forth positive improvements that benefit our residents, businesses and visitors,” stated County Executive Dennis Levinson.
 

“Our organization was very pleased to be a part of the Ventnor Gardens Plaza pump station project,” said ACUA President Rick Dovey. "With nuisance flooding becoming more common, these types of facilities are definitely important in helping to alleviate flooding, which can be a major headache for residents,” noted Dovey.