Internal Drainage Maintenance (updated 6/25/26):
In the spring of 2024, MBA contracted with Harry Caswell Plumbing to blow/vacuum debris out of every single driveway culvert and other underground piping in the community. In December 2025, the Community Facilities Committee checked all the driveway culverts, and noted a few along Errett and Short that are located below the level of the swale and thus collect some debris, but nothing too alarming.
In addition to this bi-annual work, our landscaping company routinely cuts anything growing in the swales and removes all debris several times a year.
Internal Drainage Improvements (updated 6/25/26):
While the above-noted 2024 Caswell original work cleared debris from many portions of the drainage system, it also revealed some rusting steel culverts. While some are scattered throughout the community, most of these are along Evergreen Road. The issues with various retaining walls on the sides of various driveways make this project more complex than any other street. (Click HERE for further information, which admittedly is rather bare-bones at this time. As plans develop further, we will share the details with the affected properties.) For that reason this street will be the subject of drainage work in 2026.
External Drainage (updated 6/25/26):
In 2022-24, DNREC took elevation surveys along Kent Ave, Pine Path and the western end of Evergreen Rd in an attempt to find a way to rework the drainage system between us and the Assawoman Canal. Due to the incredible number of buried utilities (in addition to standard sewer and water pipes and electric and communications cables, there is a 30″ sewer main that runs out into the ocean and several high voltage electric lines that connect the 2 substations), they were unable to come up with a plan that was economically justifiable and didn’t involve a pumping station, which someone would have to maintain (all such pumps along DelDOT roadways are actually in towns and are maintained by the respective municipal departments).
When we met onsite (September 2025), we suggested that they try to address the rusting and collapsing pipe beyond the west end of Bridge Rd, and they seemed amenable. This was good news for several reasons:1) the pipe runs under both MBA and Tennis Club property (joint construction projects are always fun), 2) the pipe runs over and under an incredible number of Verizon and other communication lines (MBA is NOT going to undertake something that complex), 3) this is the one most critical piece of our drainage infrastructure, and it is failing at this time. While the plan (we haven’t seen it yet, but it was described to us) involves the swale in front of the Tennis Club, our contact wasn’t sure how far that might extend. However bonus reason 4) is “easements for the project would be required for FAR FEWER entities”. As of this spring, our contact at DNREC had moved on to the Sussex Conservation District.
There is currently a 15″ diameter pipe under Kent Ave which carries storm water from Short, Byaberry and Errett Roads towards the canal; this pipe is currently free flowing, so the water level in the ditches on both sides of Kent Ave are generally equal. We have been advised that DelDOT will not replace this pipe with a larger diameter one because downstream conditions cannot be altered to accept more water than is currently the case.
Current Middlesex Beach Drainage Schematic
DRAINAGE LINKS
Sussex Conservation Stormwater information
Homeowner’s guide to Stormwater management
Past Sussex Conservation District presentations
Bethany Beach Stormwater and Flooding Committee Information
Fight Flooding Brochure (from Town of Bethany Beach)
South Bethany Resiliency Committee Information