July 18, 2014

NEWS RELEASE

COGCNV Helping Dam Owners Comply With New Dam Safety Regulations

Contact:Aaron Budris, Regional Planner/ GIS Specialist
Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley
Phone:(203)757-0535
 
The Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley (COGCNV) has posted a list of dam safety engineering firms on its website in order to assist Naugatuck Valley region dam owners in compliance with new state dam safety regulations. 
 
Modifications to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Dam Safety Program went into effect in October of 2013 shifting much of the responsibility of dam inspections from DEEP to dam owners. Previously, DEEP inspected privately owned dams, a service for which they charged owners a fee. Under the new program dam owners will be notified by DEEP when their dam is due for inspection and the dam owner will be required to hire a qualified engineer to inspect their dam and submit a report back to DEEP. The law also requires that all unregistered dams be registered, that owners of high and significant hazard dams develop and implement an Emergency Action Plan to be updated every two years, and that dams with safety deficits be remediated or removed, all which will require the services of a qualified engineer.
 
In order to assist area dam owners in selecting an engineer, the Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley issued a request for qualification statements (RFQ) to engineering firms interested and able to perform these services in our region. Firms were asked to fill out a standardized submission form detailing their qualifications to provide several dam safety related engineering services, and listing references for recent work they have completed. They were also asked to submit résumés of staff that would be assigned projects in the region.
 
Sixteen firms submitted their qualification statements and résumés, which have been compiled into a list published on the COGCNV website at: /content/dam-safety. The list includes links to each firm’s submission materials and website. The completed submission forms will allow dam owners to easily compare qualifications of firms, and should be a valuable resource to dam owners in their search for a qualified engineer. The web page also includes an interactive map of the Naugatuck Valley region’s dams and links to more information about the CT Dam Safety Program.