Why to build dam and water reservoir warning systems
Floods, which are caused mainly by torrential rain, melting snow or long-term rainy weather, pose a serious danger to both humans and their property. Although meteorologists have the ability to forecast such events with a reasonably high degree of precision nowadays, they still cannot reliably forecast intensive local rainfall. Regarding the vagaries of the weather, the only efficient and sufficiently flexible method of early warning against flash floods and prevention of damaging consequences is a warning system based on electronic sirens.
Although dams are built as safe structures complying with the strict standard requirements, there are still threats such as natural disasters or human-made activities that can result in their mechanical damage, whereby endangering the population property and the environment in an inundation area.
Dam safety and Early Warning Systems can help to prevent serious human casualties by monitoring the state of dams and issuing early emergency warnings.
Description of the dam and water reservoir warning systems
Risk knowledge: Data is systematically collected and analysed and risk assessment performed.
Monitoring system: Monitoring the risk of a dam rupture or damage.
Warning system: Covering by a warning signal the area that gets flooded within an hour of damaging the dam
Dissemination and communication: Risk information and early warning messages must be deliveredvia voice or text message.
Response capability: Systems in place to respond to events.
Dam Warning System Description
Monitoring Systemand Sensor Network
Risk knowledge: Monitoring System indicate any damage to the dam
Monitoring system: Make use of at least three different types of sensors (e.g. indicating dam leakages, water levels, angles of slope, etc) to increase reliability and prevent the occurrence of false alarms.
Control Centre
Continuously monitors the status and operability of the entire system.
Monitors dam parameters indicating its condition by means of monitoring sensors connected to the central computer.
Automatically activates the necessary warning and notification functions when critical values are detected in the monitoring system.
Electronic Sirens
Produce high acoustic pressure over a great distance.
Demonstrate their high reliability due totheir full operability even in case of a power failure& full functionality in extreme temperatures
Provide communications with the control centre via radio and line communications channels.
Communications infrastructure
Ensures communications between the control centre and the other elements of the warning system
Allows the connection of the dam early warning system to the national warning system
Responsible persons to be notified
Informed of the occurrence of an emergency situation via phone or text message
Urgently summoned to their offices and rescue operations
