DEKALB COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF WATERSHED DAM SAFETY THE MISSED RISK IN PLAIN SIGHT 11/9/2017 Sandra L. Glenn, P.E. Sandy A. Smith 1
AGENDA 1 7 INTRODUCTION 2 3 4 5 6 BASIC TERMINOLOGY DWM DAMS WHAT WE LEARNED WHAT IT CHANGED OUR PATH FORWARD FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 2
INTRODUCTION DAM SAFETY 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 3
DEPARTMENT OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT WHAT WE DO Serve 743,000 + DeKalb County residents Treat up to 90 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) finished drinking water Distribute ~75 MGD of safe drinking water Treat up to 42 MGD of wastewater Maintain over 5,000 miles of water distribution and sanitary sewer collection piping Collect ~ $257M per year in revenue Maintain a 95% Collection Rate Intake river water from the environment Treat and produce safe, clean drinking water Distribute drinking water to customers Collect wastewater from customers OVERVIEW Treat wastewater and return to the environment 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 4
GENERAL INFORMATION GEORGIA SAFE DAMS PROGRAM Under the Environmental Protection Division which is under the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Georgia Safe Dams Act (1978) grants legal authorization OCGA 12 5 370 to 12 5 385 HAZARD CLASSIFICATION Category I (High Hazard) Improper operation or failure would result in a probable loss of human life. Permits required Category II (Low Hazard) Improper operation or failure would not be expected to result in a probable loss of human life. No permits required Exempt <25 ft and the maximum storage volume is not greater than 100 acre feet Owned and operated by USACE, FERC, and TVA 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 5
HOW MUCH WATER IS THAT? Water capacity is measured in acre feet Acre foot equals one acre of ground covered in 1 foot of water 1 acre is roughly equal to the size of a football field 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 6
BASIC TERMINOLOGY DAM SAFETY 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 7
BASIC TERMINOLOGY 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 8
DWM DAMS DAM SAFETY 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 9
INTRODUCTION DeKalb Co. Dams Class I High Hazard (17) Class II Low Hazard (40) Exempt (59) Breached(4) DEKALB COUNTY OWNS 25 OF THEM DWM Owns 3 High Hazard Dams 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 10
WHAT WE LEARNED DAM SAFETY 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 11
EPD held a free compliance workshop EPD held a EAP workshop An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a formal document that: Identifies potential emergency conditions Specifies planned actions to be followed Specifies procedures to moderate or alleviate a problem at the dam Delineates the dam flood inundation area DeKalb County started updating its Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) WHAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 12
EAP? 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 13
WHAT IT CHANGED DAM SAFETY 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 14
HOW EPD KEPT OUR ATTENTION EPD Followed with New Regulations Required to submit an EAP Required to document and submit quarterly inspections Required to have a Georgia Professional Engineer inspect and seal an inspection every 2 years Photographs by DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 15
TO DAM SAFETY A PRIORITY A DWM failure results in: Killing people Shutting down a major interstate Destroying our own infrastructure We have to prepare because DWM is responsible 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 16
PREPAREDNESS A PRIORITY DWM owns 3 out of 116 total dams Majority of the dams are not well maintained Private dams (including 6 High Hazard) generally have not completed an EAP and have no emergency response equipment All of the dams can impact infrastructure 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 17
WHAT WE CHANGED We are preparedpreparing EAPs incorporated into emergency operations planning Inspections elevated Annual dam safety training Reverse 911 Planned tabletop with EPD & stakeholders Photographs by DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 18
OUR PATH FORWARD DAM SAFETY 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 19
OUR PATH FORWARD Fully Prepared On Call Engineer Reverse Pumping Capability Scheduled EAP Updates Review of private dam impacts 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 20
FEEDBACK/QUESTIONS? Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. 11/9/2017 2017 AWRA Annual Water Resources Conference 21