Kauffman Dam

Kauffman Dam is located on Kauffman Run in New Castle Township, Pennsylvania. The Dam impounds a 19-acre reservoir used to feed the Mount Laurel Water Filtration Plant, which serves seven municipalities. The reservoir is critical to the water supply for these municipalities.

The dam is approximately 573 feet long with a maximum height of 68 feet and had a history of issues. This rehabilitation project included improving the spillway capacity by installing a staged labyrinth weir while maintaining the existing top of dam elevation, constructing an embankment drainage system and increasing slope stability by flattening the downstream slope, constructing a new spillway chute and stilling basin, extending the low-level outlet conduit, and constructing a new valve house. Benesch also provided Schuylkill County Municipal Authority with survey and upgrade design services along with contract administration and construction observation.

Schuylkill County Municipal Authority received Commonwealth Financing Authority H2O PA Grant and a Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority Low Interest Loan for the project. Very little local funding was needed to complete this project.