Contractors sent underwater to conduct routine maintenance at an Alabama dam surfaced with far more than a repair report Tuesday — they found a live explosive device submerged beneath the surface of a reservoir that supplies drinking water to an entire region.
The discovery took place at the Converse Reservoir dam in Mobile, Alabama, a site that carries federal designation as critical national infrastructure.
The 3,600-acre reservoir supplies drinking water for the Mobile area.
The dam serves as the sole water supply for the region and functions as the primary drinking water source for the city of Mobile and surrounding municipalities.
The device divers pulled from the water was no crude, haphazard object. Bomb experts determined the device was likely purposefully built and placed there.
MAWSS alerted the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office immediately following the discovery, which then coordinated a multi-agency response for analysis, retrieval, and safe demolition.
Law enforcement descended on the site in force.
The responding agencies included the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Bomb Squad, the Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordinance Detail, the ALEA Bomb Squad, and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team.
Because the dam and reservoir carry federal designation as critical infrastructure, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was notified of the incident.
The Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team took on the task of retrieving and detonating the improvised explosive device found beneath the water at the Converse Reservoir dam.
The IED was removed without causing damage to the dam, and the drinking water supply was not affected, MAWSS confirmed in a news release.
Authorities have released no information identifying anyone connected to placing the device at the site, and no suspects have been named publicly.MAWSS officials stated they do not want to speculate on who planted it.
MAWSS Director Bud McCrory addressed the public following the incident. “Our top priority is keeping your drinking water safe,” McCrory said.
“This is an unprecedented threat, and we are fortunate that this device was discovered before it could cause serious damage to our water supply or harm to individuals. We are grateful for the professionalism and competency of our law enforcement partners — as well as the quick thinking of our contractors and divers — in identifying this device and safely destroying it.”
MAWSS stated it will work to increase security measures at the dam moving forward.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Mobile Police Department, FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The case remains open, with investigators offering no public timeline for identifying those responsible for planting an explosive at one of the most critical pieces of water infrastructure on the Gulf Coast.
