The Central Alabama Water board has hired three independent experts to review the Lake Purdy Dam rehabilitation project.
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
The Board of Directors of Central Alabama Water (CAW) Wednesday night voted to hire three independent experts to review the Lake Purdy Dam rehabilitation project.
“This is a large and complex project,” said Phillip Wiedmeyer, Vice-Chairman of the CAW board and a retired engineer said. “Hiring outside, independent experts who work directly for the board is an important quality assurance step. They will evaluate the project and help us validate and optimize the work.”
The CAW board hired Donald Bruce, Ph.D., David Campbell, P.E., and Eugene Bentley Sorrell, P.E.
- Bruce is considered one of the country’s foremost experts on geotechnical construction with a focus on drilling and grouting techniques. He is the president of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Geosystems, L.P. He is a fellow with the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of both the Association of Engineering Geologists and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. Bruce is licensed as a professional geologist in Alabama.
- Campbell is an independent dam engineering consultant with more than 45 years of experience in dam and levee engineering. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers. Campbell received the National Award of Merit from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials for significant contributions to the organization and dam engineering. Campbell was licensed as a professional engineer in Alabama until 2019 when he moved his license to inactive status. His hiring is contingent on his license being reinstated.
- Sorrell retired as chief engineer for the Birmingham Water Works Board in 2020. He is licensed in Alabama as a professional engineer and a professional land surveyor.
The independent, third-party experts will be hired, paid by and report directly to the CAW board.
Construction is currently underway on Phase 1 of the Lake Purdy Dam rehabilitation project which involves installing roller compacted concrete as structural support to strengthen the dam. The cost of Phase 1 is $28 million.
At its October 20, 2025, meeting, the CAW Board authorized three additions related to the project:
- a dye test to check for seepage pathways;
- exploration drilling on the left side of the dam; and
- installing a deep foundation on the right side of the dam.
- Click here for a press release related to these items.
About Lake Purdy Dam
Lake Purdy Dam is located in northern Shelby County. The original construction of the dam was completed in 1910. A project completed in 1929 raised the dam to its current height of 73 feet and length of 445 feet. The reservoir has a capacity of 5.6 billion gallons. It is a major drinking water source for a large portion of the CAW’s service area including Birmingham, Homewood, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills and surrounding areas. Visit https://www.bwwb.org/lakepurdy for more information.
About Central Alabama Water
Central Alabama Water (CAW) serves customers in Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount and Walker counties. The CAW operates four filtration plants, a certified testing laboratory and has more than 4,100 miles of water main in its distribution network. Visit www.bwwb.org for more information.
