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Eliminating Contractor Inspections of Federal Water Projects Could Save Millions

CED-81-146 Published: Sep 29, 1981. Publicly Released: Sep 29, 1981.
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Highlights

GAO reviewed three approaches to inspecting the construction of dams, powerhouses, and other Federal water projects: (1) contractor self-inspection with agency monitoring, used by the Corps of Engineers; (2) agency inspection, used by the Bureau of Reclamation; and (3) third-party inspection, occasionally used by both agencies. The objective of the review was to determine the most economical way of accomplishing inspection objectives for water projects.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Defense To help reduce costs and provide the quality control essential for activities involved in constructing dams, powerhouses, and other water projects, the Secretary of Defense should exempt Corps of Engineers' water project construction activities from the requirement for contractor inspections.
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Construction contractsContract termsContractor personnelDamsInspectionWater resources developmentQuality controlMilitary forcesSpecificationsEngineers