Decision Making Q19:
Dilemma: A senior geotechnical engineer discovers that a municipal dam upstream from a major metropolitan area exhibits micro-fractures that pose a low-probability, catastrophic flood risk over the next decade. Remediating the dam requires draining the reservoir, cutting off municipal water and hydroelectric power for two years. How should the engineer advise the city council?
Dilemma: A senior geotechnical engineer discovers that a municipal dam upstream from a major metropolitan area exhibits micro-fractures that pose a low-probability, catastrophic flood risk over the next decade. Remediating the dam requires draining the reservoir, cutting off municipal water and hydroelectric power for two years. How should the engineer advise the city council?