WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - Waterloo has hired an engineering firm to help guide repairs to the inflatable dam on the Cedar River downtown.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that the City Council has authorized spending up to $27,500 for AECOM Technical Services to develop plans for a process to determine why the rubber bladder dam is leaking air.

The company will prepare a contract for a private contractor that will install temporary gates to keep water away while engineers inspect the dam to find the leak or leaks and make plans for repairs. The city intends to have parts and patches on hand to make repairs while the water is diverted for the inspection.

The city has inflated the bladder dam since 2009, raising the Cedar River level by about 4 feet (1.2 meters) to enhance boating. It’s usually inflated in June and deflated in October.

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Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com

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