Repairs made to Pennesseewassee dam to prevent ‘catastrophic’ failure

Following a surge of complaints about low water levels over the summer, engineers inspected the dam linking Pennesseewassee Lake and Pennesseewassee Stream to determine whether water was leaking and contributing to the decline. Engineers found no significant water loss. Still, the unusually low water level revealed a faulty spillway and other serious structural vulnerabilities that could lead to catastrophic dam failure during high-water events. In a twist of irony, the damage might have gone undetected had water levels stayed high. Town officials have moved quickly to initiate repairs and reduce the risk of dam failure before spring runoff. Over a three-week period in October, Bancroft Construction Corp. of South Paris repaired leaking timber boards, concrete beams and other structural elements of the dam, which was built in 1935.