BWL to begin monthly tests of dam break warning system, starting this weekend
Ken PalmerLANSING — The Lansing Board of Water & Light said it will begin testing its dam break warning system on a monthly basis, beginning Saturday, April 1.
The warning system consists of sirens sounding, followed by a recorded message broadcast over loud speakers. The sirens are located along the Grand River − one near Hazel Street and the other near Lenawee and River streets.
BWL has been testing the dam break flood warning system once a year but will move to a monthly schedule coinciding with the tornado system test, the utility said in a news release.
The system is designed to warn residents if a failure at the Moores Park Dam presents a flooding risk.
BWL has been operating the dam since 1919, and there's never been a recorded failure in that time, the utility said. On-site staff monitor the dam around the clock each day, it said.
Contact Ken Palmer atkpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.