Fairfax Water will test the warning siren on its dam near Occoquan at 10 a.m. Wednesday, November 16, 2022.
The siren is used to warn those who live nearby the dams on the Occoquan River in the event of a dam break. Residents in the town of Occoquan and Belmont Bay in Woodbridge would be affected by rising water if the dam broke.
Officials said, “if the dam sounds seek higher ground.” The siren is tested frequently.
Occoquan Mayor Earnie porta writes about the upcoming test:
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 16, at 10:00 a.m., when Fairfax Water will once again be testing the Occoquan Dam warning siren. Established in part through funding secured by Congressman Gerry Connolly, the siren is designed to alert people and encourage them to seek higher ground in the highly unlikely event of a massive failure of the high dam that is located approximately a mile to the west of town.
For more information on the dam, the impact zone, and the test itself, — including how you can expect the siren to sound — go tohttps://www.fairfaxwater.org/
occoquan-reservoir/occoquan-da m-siren.
The dam sits upstream from Occoquan on the Occoquan River. It holds back water on the river to form a drinking water reservoir that serves 1.5 million people in Fairfax and Prince William counties. The reservoir produces more than 17 million gallons of water per day.
