The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System says it will work with state and federal law enforcement to increase security at a federal dam that provides drinking water for Alabama’s Port City. Scuba divers discovered what’s being called an improvised explosive device (IED) at The Converse Reservoir Dam at Big Creek Lake.
Diver repair teams were doing routine maintenance when the device, described as looking like a grenade was discovered underwater. Officials at MAWS says the explosive could have harmed people or the Mobile water supply. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Department was notified once the bomb was spotted. A multi-agency response group called the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team called the retrieved the device and detonated it.
The FBI Bomb Squad, ALEA Bomb Squad, the Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordinance Detail Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team took part in the effort to remove the IED. MAWS says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was informed of the incident since the Converse Reservoir Dam is considered critical federal infrastructure.
