An improvised explosive device resembling a grenade was located and safely detonated at an Alabama reservoir, which serves as the exclusive drinking water source for approximately 350,000 residents, officials reported on Thursday.
The explosive device was found by divers conducting standard maintenance checks at the Converse Reservoir Dam. Upon discovery, the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS) identified it as a “grenade-type IED” and promptly informed the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), as stated by authorities.
In response, a collaborative team comprising the FBI Bomb Squad, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordnance Detail, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Bomb Squad, MCSO, and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team, effectively secured and disposed of the device, according to MAWSS.
Bud McCrory, the Director of MAWSS, described the situation as “an unprecedented threat” to the region’s water supply. He expressed relief that the device was detected in time to prevent potential harm to the water system or the community.
A team from the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team retrieved the IED from the Converse Reservoir in Mobile, Alabama. (Credit: Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS))
MAWSS confirms that the Converse Reservoir is the sole drinking water source for Mobile’s population of 350,000.
“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,” McCrory said.
Members of the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team fish an IED out of the Converse Reservoir in Mobile, Alabama. (Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS))
MAWSS said it is working with law enforcement agencies to investigate how the bomb got in the reservoir and how long it had been there. The agency will also work with law enforcement to increase security around the dam.
An inter-agency team in Alabama assesses an IED at the Converse Reservoir Dam in Mobile, Alabama. (Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS))
The Converse Reservoir and its dam are federally designated critical infrastructure. The dam is classified as a high hazard potential, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials.
The high hazard designation means a structural failure would “probably cause loss of human life,” according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Fox News Digital contacted MAWSS, MCSO and the FBI for additional comment.
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