An improvised explosive device, resembling a grenade, was found and subsequently detonated in an Alabama reservoir, which supplies drinking water to approximately 350,000 residents, officials announced on Thursday.
During a routine maintenance check at the Converse Reservoir Dam, divers discovered the explosive device. The Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS) identified it as a “grenade-type IED” and promptly contacted the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), as stated by the authorities.
A coordinated team successfully secured and detonated the device. This team comprised specialists from 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, according to MAWSS.
Bud McCrory, the director of MAWSS, described the discovery of the IED as “an unprecedented threat” to the area’s water supply. He expressed relief, noting, “We are fortunate that this device was found before it could inflict serious damage on our water supply or cause harm to individuals.”
An image captured members of the Gulf Coast Regional Maritime Response and Render-Safe Team as they retrieved the IED from the Converse Reservoir in Mobile, Alabama. The photo was provided by the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS).
The Converse Reservoir is the sole source of drinking water for the Mobile area’s 350,000 residents, according to MAWSS.
“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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