East Hampton Village is moving forward on a few stormwater-abatement projects, which together could improve the quality of the water in Georgica Pond. According to Billy Hajek, the village planner, the pond is "experiencing algal blooms usually attributed to excess phosphorus, nitrogen, and high fecal-coliform levels."
Mr. Hajek appeared before the village board on Friday to discuss one such installation, at the end of Cove Hollow Road. After rain, the pipe now there spills its untreated contents, collected from 33 catch basins along its 7,298-foot length, directly into Georgica Pond. That pipe requires repair or replacement.
Seven inlets to the catch basins are now buried under asphalt. Three others don't appear connected, and another, at the southeast corner of Montauk Highway and Cove Hollow Road, which is under state control, is badly damaged.
The pipe was designed and constructed nearly 100 years ago, to alleviate flooding from farmland runoff. It operates purely from gravity; there are no pumping stations involved. In 2018 cameras were snaked into it, revealing that it was full of silt. In some places, it had been pierced by tree roots; in others, unbelievably, utility lines.
Apart from the issues caused by the stormwater runoff flowing into Georgica Pond, the pipe could be far more effective. Ponding has been observed, Mr. Hajek said, on surrounding road shoulders that should be clear.
Worse yet, he told the board: Consultants have found evidence of homeowners prying the pipe open and directing stormwater runoff from their properties into it.
The consultants, VHB Engineers, have recommended that new drainage inlets be installed and the catch basins cleaned, so that much or most of the runoff is captured upland and never reaches the pond. For runoff that does get to the pond, they suggested treatment with a wetland system on the east side of the cul-de-sac at its end, which would be widened and improved to allow more space for emergency vehicles.
Just past Georgica Road, a "forebay" would collect water before seeping through a wetland, constructed of native plants, before hitting a weir and entering a "micropool"; then through an outlet into the cove.
"It will be similar to the Methodist Lane bioswale," said Mr. Hajek, who is excited about the project. "It will look very nice."
The plan — now in the permitting stage with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the state's Department of State — is being funded by the Community Preservation Fund's Water Quality Initiative, supported by the Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation. The village will ultimately seek county and state funding as well.
The project inched closer to actuality after Mr. Hajek's presentation. The board approved its design and adopted a negative declaration per the state's environmental laws, meaning it can move ahead without a lengthy environmental review.
Mr. Hajek hopes construction will begin in 2025.
