Veolia Water Indianapolis, the day-to-day operator of Indianapolis Water, recently completed an assessment of the Broad Ripple Dam. The dam is a critical piece of the drinking water utility's infrastructure, diverting up to 120 million gallons of water down the Central Canal each day. This water is then treated and distributed to about 60% of the utility's customers. During the dam assessment, Veolia uncovered part of the apron that has been deteriorating. A visual inspection revealed exposed timbers, installed more than 100 years ago as support for the structure and the apron. Samples of the concrete apron and the timbers were obtained and submitted for testing of strength and condition. The review determined that much of the rest of the dam is in fairly good shape.

To shore up the damaged portion of the apron, Veolia poured approximately 40 yards of concrete on top of the exposed timbers and rock to protect the integrity of the dam while a more detailed assessment takes place. Engineers will consider a number of repair options going forward, including design modifications and repairs that would extend the life of the existing dam, and/or the feasibility, costs and benefits associated with future construction of a new dam.