The Lansing Board of Water & Light will conduct an annual test of its dam break warning system on Wednesday, November 9.
Two sirens will sound at approximately 9 a.m., followed by a recorded message that will be broadcasted by loudspeakers. The message will say, "Testing the dam break flood warning system."
The sirens are located along the Grand River. One is located near Hazel Street, and the other is located near Lenawee and River streets. The BWL conducts the test to ensure the public safety warning system is functional.
"Our emergency management systems are tested annually to ensure the well-being of our infrastructure and the safety of our customers," said Director of Emergency Management Trent Atkins. "We want the BWL and our customers to be prepared during emergencies, and this is one step in being a more disaster resilient community."
Federal law requires the BWL to annually test the emergency warning system which will be activated in the highly unlikely event of a failure of the Moores Park Dam, which is located on the Grand River near the BWL's Eckert Power Plant.
Since 1919 when the BWL began operating the Moores Park Dam, there has never been a recorded failure of the dam, which is monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by on-site staff.
