Alligator Pond
Alligator Pond
Alligator Pond
In June of 1997 we surveyed a naval base which was in the process of being decommissioned. During the survey we encountered a very large leak on a six inch main.
This main was located in a remote part of the base. The area had dense overgrowth with large trees and was actually a swamp.
When we were ready to pinpoint the leak we needed help to locate a valve, which on the map appeared to be somewhere in the swampy area. Utility personnel warned us that there were alligators in the swamp and they never ventured in that area.
The solution was to simply close the valve on the six inch line -- after all, the main had not been used for decades. The swamp had actually been created and maintained by the large leak for many many years.
Estimated leakage was 41,000 gallons per day or 15,000,000 gallons per year.
Wednesday, June 25, 1997