Unexpected waterlines force delay on Catchment 7 stormwater work, town told

Town staff told the Town of Sunset Beach during a special-call meeting that unexpected waterlines discovered beneath Main Street have delayed the completion of the Catchment 7 stormwater project.

Dustin Graham, the staff member leading the project update, said the town has shifted permits and utility work to the county and is waiting on county approval to move four service lines that block the new storm pipe alignment. "So right now, we are still waiting. All the permits and all everything has been shifted over to the county," Graham said.

Graham identified the utilities as two 6-inch and two 2-inch lines plus a fire-hydrant leg; he said some lines sit only about 34–36 inches below grade, leaving insufficient separation from the concrete storm pipe and increasing the risk that traffic vibration could abrade the lines. The engineering team upsized the stormwater main for capacity, which required relocating the shallow waterlines out into the public right-of-way.

Council members pressed for a timeline and contingency planning. Graham said the contractor estimates three days to move the borderlines and roughly another week to set the remaining pipe, with about 200–270 feet of pipe left on Main Street. He also warned that the county requires a 72-hour public-notice window before utility crews can work, and each service-line shutdown will produce short, localized outages; staff estimated isolated outages could last about three days per affected line while crews perform sequenced work.

Council and staff acknowledged the schedule will likely slip past the holidays. "That's why I said it probably won't happen till after the holidays," Graham said; later discussion put realistic restoration and inspections in mid-January.

On responsibility for final restoration, Graham said the contractor is obligated to grade, replace rock, reseed or straw areas as needed and that final payment will not be released until town staff, the engineering firm and state inspectors sign off on the work.

Council members also flagged safety and public-notice issues: staff said the contractor will provide notice by email and door-to-door contact and that signs and chained access can be used to deter public entry while crews operate in the area.

No formal new votes were taken about the Catchment 7 work at the meeting; council members asked staff to coordinate with the county, confirm sequencing to minimize outages and return to council with updated maps and a start schedule once county approvals and the contractor's schedule are confirmed.

The meeting moved on to other island projects after the Catchment 7 update.