WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - The leaking inflatable dam on the Cedar River in downtown Waterloo has been fixed, officials said.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported that contractors found a slit in the half-inch-thick (1.27 centimeters) rubber and repaired it.
Associate city engineer Wayne Castle said the final cost of the project will be significantly below the original $388,350 contract approved in November with J.F. Brennan Co., of La Crosse, Wisconsin. “We’re not completely done yet, but we should be just under $220,000,” Castle said.
A major reason for the lower cost was that a marine contractor was able to use divers to inspect the riverbed on the downstream side of the dam, Castle said. The original contract anticipated the contractor building a more expensive wall around the inspection area.
The city has inflated the bladder dam since 2009, raising the Cedar River level by about 4 feet (1.2 meters) to enhance boating. It’s usually inflated in June and deflated in October.
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