SC Dams

Started by JohnC46 • 8 replies • 1308 views

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JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Many of the dams in SC that broke were made by real estate developments so one could live on a lake. Many of the developments do not even know their association owns and/or is responsible for the dam. Many of them are in for big surprises when they learn they have to pay for repair.

The other shoe has yet to fall in many SC HOA's.

RichardP13 (California)
Posts: 3,868

Posted:

God Bless HOA's

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By JohnC46 on 10/13/2015 3:43 PM
Many of the dams in SC that broke were made by real estate developments so one could live on a lake. Many of the developments do not even know their association owns and/or is responsible for the dam. Many of them are in for big surprises when they learn they have to pay for repair.

The other shoe has yet to fall in many SC HOA's.

no, they were built as per the Clean Water Act's requirement for storm water management

a/k/a retention pond

they were MARKETED and SOLD as amenities

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

We have found that our retention pond has an issue as a result of the rain. For conversation sake picture a concrete riser (4ftx4ft) about 8 ft tall. The riser has two holes in it. Upper and lower, which connect to a drain pipe that goes under the damn. Typical water level is at the bottom of the lower hole. Have seen the level go higher during a heavy rain but never reach the top holes. Well it reached the top this past storm but all was well. It drained off.

As the water level lowered, it went lower then the bottom hole which is what caused the concern. You could see a little whirlpool behind the riser. Had the original design engineer come out today to look at it. His initial evaluation is that the water pressure caused a crack in the drain pipe/riser and the water is leaking out from there. Does not seem to be a major issue as the pond will stop leaking when it reaches the level of the crack. The rough guesstimate is less the $2,000.00 to "hydraulic cement???" the crack.

The pond is also spring fed and loaded with fish thus used for fishing. It does not appear the pond will go low enough to cause problems for the fish but one never knows.

The fun never ends.

GenoS (Florida)
Posts: 4,276

Posted:

That would concern me as well. Hydraulic cement sets and cures under water. As long as it's applied properly it should be fine. And the next storm as bad as that one is 1,000 years away, right?

I'd be worried. No chance of draining the pond and completely replacing the riser?

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

Why do it properly (and expensively) when it can be patched?

Just kidding.

ValK2 (Tennessee)
Posts: 65

Posted:

Start a reserve for the possibility of future major repairs. A little bitching now is a LOT better than a major amount of bitching when you suddenly need to come up to $20,000. With luck you will never need it, and have a nice little cushion in your HOA accounts.

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

Yea, fix it AFTER it fails.

? Y'all from my state of South Carolina by chance ?

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

Oh, yes, you ARE

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