Dam Safety

The threat to the Taunton dam appears to be lessening, but it has certainly increased awareness of dam safety in Massachusetts. Governor Romney has ordered a review of all high hazard dams. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials has a good summary of Massachusetts Dam Safety laws and regulations available. Chapter 253 of the General Laws covers dams, and sections 44-50A in particular deal with dam safety. The regulations, 302 CMR 10, go into more specific detail about design, safety, inspection and more. Contact information for the Office of Dam Safety is available in A Citizen's Guide to State Services.