Underwater bomb discovered at base of dam holding entire city’s drinking water supply sparking massive federal response | 15 May 2026 | An explosive was discovered underwater at the base of a dam in Alabama that supplies the City of Mobile and the surrounding region with drinking water. The explosive was discovered on Wednesday by divers contracted by the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS), who were surveying the Converse Reservoir dam in Mobile County for routine maintenance and repairs. The divers immediately reported the device, which MAWSS described as “a grenade-type IED (improvised explosive device).” The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office was notified, and a huge, multi-agency response involving federal partners ensued. Those agencies included the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Bomb Squad, Mobile Police Department Explosive Ordnance Detail, ALEA Bomb Squad and the Daphne Search and Rescue Team. The explosive was retrieved and safely detonated on land away from the dam.