SMALL DAMS

Chapter VIII
SURVEILLANCE
Robust monitoring equipment that is simple to read is preferred. The frequency at
which the devices are read, as well as that of in-depth inspections, must be suited to
the size of the dam.
All of these decisions combine to fulfil two objectives that can never be dissociated:
economics and safety.
In conclusion, a small dam must always be simple in design, simple in construction,
and simple in surveillance. But this must not be to the detriment of safety:
for example, the filter of coarse material around a drain can never be sacrificed
for reasons of economy!
Unfortunately, for the designer of a small dam, simple never means easy. On
the contrary, it can be harder to design a small dam than a large one, as the
investigations - among other things - are not necessarily adequate.
We hope that this manual will facilitate the dialogue between dam owners, the
administration, contractors, and engineers, and will help in reconciling simplicity
and safety.
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