Electricity, ESD, and Your Dock

According to a 2014 CDC report, an average of 3,536 people per year die from accidental drowning unrelated to boating  This is basically an accounting of people drowning just swimming in the water and there are many reasons such tragedies occur but one contributing factor is electrocution, or Electric Shock Drowning (ESD). Just how many of these non-boating related drownings can be attributed to electrocution while in the water is harder to know since ESD statistics are not as carefully documented, but we do know it happens and sadly the Lake of the Ozarks has had its share. Homeowners need to start taking action now to prevent their docks from being a danger to themselves, their families and their neighbors. Making sure your dock is as safe as possible is not only a responsibility, it may soon become mandatory.

Is ESD a new phenomenon, or does it just seem to be happening more often? Electric service on docks is nothing new, but it has become far more commonplace. The need for boat lifts, and the general trend to make living space on our docks has meant more and more power is being delivered over the water. On the other hand, our interconnected world and social media has made awareness of these types of tragedies more prevalent. These two factors, I believe, have both raised the risk and the awareness.

Can we eliminate the risk of ESD? Sure, by mandating that there can be no electrical service on docks. Period. Sound good? Believe it or not there are those that advocate such measures, namely the ESD Prevention Association which believes that docks and marinas should not have electricity and promote awareness to not swim anywhere near ones that do. Others suggest a less radical but inconvenient idea of turning off power to the dock before swimming near it. The main problem with this idea is that it relies on the most unreliable safety feature in any given system, a human being. The idea of eliminating electricity from docks altogether is a simple foolproof idea, but unrealistic for the Lake of the Ozarks. We need power on our docks.

Homeowners on Lake of the Ozarks need electricity for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being boat lifts, marine shore power connections, and lawn irrigation pumps, and they are the most demanding in terms of power requirements. Shore power connections for larger boats typically run 30 amps. irrigation pumps can require 3-10 amps depending on their voltage and pumping capacity, and boat lift air pumps operate in the 1-3 amp range. Along with a smattering of lights, fans, convenience outlets and the occasional small refrigerator, docks typically have anywhere from 30-50 amp services with 100 amps not being out of the question. For a typical 200 amp home service, the boat dock can often represent a significant portion of power consumption. When you consider it only takes about ten milliamps (10/1000 of an amp) to constrict your muscles and only a few dozen to stop your heart, the typical dock circuit carries enough current to kill many thousands of times over. While not all docks have electrical service, blue light requirement not withstanding, the vast majority do. If you do have electrical service on your dock, get it right, or abandon it altogether. The risk of faulty electrical service is high, and your responsibilities are clear.

Any dock installations (old or new) with electrical service are required to pass an inspection, and if you're selling your lake home you can bet the new owners will insist on one, but it won't be long before ALL docks, regardless of age will also need to be inspected and approved. If you want to keep electricity on your dock, you had better get it up to code.

How do you do get your dock up to code? The key word here is "code", and it comes from something called the National Electrical Code (its formal name is NFPA 70), written by the National Fire Protection Association, which is rather odd sounding source I know, but trust me it's been around for decades. The book is huge as one might expect and surprisingly readable, if you're into such things, but suffice to say your average handy-man is not going to be familiar with it and it is very detailed when it comes to safety requirements for electrical power and marine installation. In short, if you want to get your dock up to code, your likely going to need a professional. Of course, just about any electrician with a sign on their truck is going to tell you that they can wire your dock correctly, and many can, there's nothing special about the requirements, but you will want to have it inspected to make sure its right and in most cases an inspection is required. Oh sure, you can hire anyone you like, even do it yourself if you wish, but when the fire department comes out to inspect it and tells you it's wrong and you have to rip out hundreds of dollars of wiring and start over don't say I didn't warn you. I'm an electrical engineer, and trust me, they don't teach NFPA70 wiring specifications for docks in engineering classes. I paid to have it done just like many people do. It isn't cheap either. Depending on the services you need, the size of the dock, and a hundred other variables, your cost can be several thousands of dollars, but considering what it could cost you in lives and lawsuits, just think of it as another necessary expense. No one said living on the lake would be cheap.

Here is a PDF from Ameren that can tell you what will be expected of your installation. It is not intended to be checklist, but it will give you a very good idea of what you're in for. Also, in 2019 a small group of local electrical contractors started the "Lake Ozark Association of Electrical Contractors" in an effort distinguish those contractors committed to safety, but it is a voluntary membership trying to address the fact that Missouri has no state licensing requirements for electricians (not the smartest piece of deregulation in my opinion but I'm just an electrical engineer so what do I know) which creates some trust issues for consumers. Just remember when choosing a contractor, the only thing worse than no safety equipment is badly installed safety equipment.

Update: I've been asked about those "Life Alert" devices that you can add to a dock that detects the presence of electricity in the water. Are they effective? Are they necessary? On the issue of effectiveness, they do work, but they will drive you nuts. They are designed to detect very small amounts of voltage or current (amps) in the water and believe it or not, it happens naturally. Small electrical currents are created by a variety of natural processes. The amount of energy created is very small and harmless but your dock sensor will pick up on them and alert you. Part of the problem with any safety device is "alert fatigue". If you're constantly being bombarded by false alerts, you may not pay serious attention to one that is real. Hats off to the two engineers who came up with the idea, but it is fallible, and can easily lure you into a sense of safety that may not be justified.

Are these devices necessary? Not really. If you're dock is wired correctly, and periodically inspected (docks move and connections fail), the safety features of the circuit itself will protect you from harm. However, if you feel better having a dock alert system than by all means install one. Just be aware that if your lake home is a weekend destination, you will probably want to shut power off at your dock when you leave to avoid driving your neighbors insane with alarms going off all week while you're gone. Ask me how I know. :)

Permit and Address Dock Signage Requirements

Ameren Missouri requires that all docks and dock modifications post the permit number and street address on the structure. Look at around the lake and you'll see different types of signs of different sizes.  In short, the sign needs to be whatever size it needs to be to accommodate your specific information using 3" letters.  You don't need any official type of backboard as long as it contrasts the lettering, although you should be mindful that any material will be exposed to the elements and weathering.  Most people seem to be using white plastic panels available in the signage section at the local home supply store and simple black letters.  No evening lighting is required...yet.

Make sure you use your established 911 address as this information is used for the response from law enforcement and emergency personnel. The sign is to be mounted on the lake side of the dock in a location most visible from the cove or channel.

Encapuslated Foam Disposal - Hey Ameren! A Little Help?

UPDATE:  Oct 16, 2015 During Ameren's sponsored shoreline cleanups, in both spring and fall, dumpsters are placed throughout the lake area.  Bring all of your lake collected trash to one of these facilities, by land or sea, and it will be properly disposed of at no expense. You will need to contact Ameren for the location nearest you and confirm if you have a lot. bvance@ameren.com
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As the lake rises to summer levels there is the inevitable influx of trash and unwanted material back into the Osage river system.  Most of this material is small trash that will, unfortunately, make its way to the Gulf of Mexico, but not all.  The large encapsulated foam "tubs" that are required by all dock owners now can sometimes be found floating around in various states of condition, some are completely intact and can be reused, while others are damaged and cannot. These tubs are tough but not indestructible.  Damaged tubs cannot help support a dock but they are practically unsinkable and float around until they make their way to the backs of coves, or down to the dam.  I've retrieved two unusable tubs myself just to keep them out of traffic.  The outdrive I save may be my own.

There in the lies the problem.  Disposing of bad dock foam has always been a problem but at least there were facilities that would do it.  I've tried to find a proper disposal location for these tubs, but so far cannot find any service that will take them.  The response from WCA was "Good luck".  Ameren has the clout to help setup some process for dealing with this problem, a little leadership on this front would be helpful.

If I figure out a way to dispose of these things...properly... I'll post it.

Boat Size Limits

Technically, there is no size limit for boats operating on the Lake of the Ozarks, but there are limitations to dock slip size.

"The maximum boat slip size shall not exceed 55 feet in length for residential permits and
60 feet  for  commercial (marina) permits. Any  watercraft moored  within slips permitted
after March 30, 2008 shall not extend beyond the mouth of the slip."  - SMP: Appendix B (2007)

The slip size restriction was set in place as a broadside effort to limit the size of boats on the lake. The March 30th, 2008 date insures that as docks are replaced, or require re-permitting for any reason, their slips will be within the maximum size and no boat extends beyond the roof-line. Slip size restrictions do not imply restrictions to the overall size of the dock, which can be quite large and limited only by the same rules as any other dock such as property line extensions, set-back minimums, cove "head" limitations, and how much one is willing to spend each year for a permit. Any dock over 3000 sq/ft is assessed an extra six cents per square foot annually, rather than just a one time fee.

Some might think that using a pier is a way to get around the limitation but Ameren has rules which make this option difficult and ultimately no advantage for a larger boat.

"Piers  must  be  6  feet  or  less  in  width,  and  must  not extend  more  than  30  feet  lakeward  of elevation 658.5 feet." -SMP: Appendix B (2007)

For property where a pier is even practical, let alone possible, the pier length limit of 30 feet does not facilitate mooring large boats.  A 70 foot boat is not going to tie up to a 30 ft pier and be secure, although some configuration might be possible.

There are exceptions of course, the obvious being the motor vessel "Celebration", and it's sister ship the "Celebration II", 80 foot excursion boats popular for daytime and dinner cruises.  It is unclear what rules govern commercial vessel mooring facilities, but for private residences the only means of having a dock large enough to accommodate a 60+ foot boat is to already have had it built and permitted over six years ago.  As docks age and are replaced, these will become rarer and ultimately the slip size restriction will start to have an affect.

Is Your Dock Electrically Safe?

Updated: ESD and Your Dock

Nothing fires up action in local government quite like having to take responsibility for a lack of adherence to safety standards that results in a death.  After 3 deaths in 2012 due to faulty electrical wiring, both Osage Beach, Village of Four Seasons, and Lake Ozark have made changes in local ordinances regarding dock wiring.  All docks must now conform to National Electrical Code standards and be inspected before Ameren will grant a new dock permit or when property ownership changes.  Both the Osage Beach and Lake Ozark Fire Department Districts provide the inspection for a fee.

Electricity and water are always a tricky combination, and water soaked skin makes for a near perfect conductor, but proper design and installation of a dock's electrical system can mitigate the risk to acceptable levels.  I encourage all property owners to have their dock wiring inspected and certified regardless of whether or not it is required and, if found deficient, have a certified electrician do the work. It is not enough to know basic wiring and common sense to wire up your dock anymore.

For instance, many docks have, and are now required to have, a shoreline over current protection (fuse, or circuit breaker) or disconnect device located on-shore to disconnect main power to the dock, but what is not commonly known is that this device must be within six feet of the ramp AND a minimum of 42" above the ramp walkway, or no lower than 665' elevation.  Currently, it is very common to see dock disconnect junction boxes set only a few inches above the ground, although most are within 6' of the ramp.  A thorough understanding of electrical bonding is also needed as all metal parts of a dock must now be connected to ground.  There are commercial systems available designed to monitor for leakage current in the water, but these are NOT required, and unnecessary if the wiring is to code.  The many requirements of the NEC are beyond most weekend-wire-nuts like me to know and implement properly, but there is no law in saying you have to have a licensed electrician do the work.  Just don't complain when you have to pay to have it re-inspected several times to bring it to compliance or even start from scratch.  Wiring is expensive and getting it wrong can be very costly.

Ameren does not provide inspections but they do provide some insight into what you can expect.
Dock Expanded Electrical Requirements (PDF) (2019 Note: This is an archival version from the date of this post. An updated version is available here).

As property owners we have a responsibility to our families, and our neighbors, to keep the lake as safe as possible for everyone.

Dock Damage Winter 2007 Part 2

I found another group of pictures.  To be accurate, this event happened November 30th, 2006.

Ariel view of Port Arrowhead

Port Arrowhead again

Dock Damage Winter 2007

These pictures were taken by a dock company in 2007 after a very wet snow.  A lot of docks looked like this that day.

Winter coming in like a lion can make a person nervous.

The Army Corps of Engineers and Lake of the Ozarks

The Lake of the Ozarks is NOT controlled by the The Army Corps of Engineers but by Ameren Missouri.

The Corps remains somewhat relevant to the management and operation of the lake through a "Memorandum of Agreement" (MOA) that exists between Ameren and the Corps of Engineers in coordinating operations with Truman Dam, which is managed by the Corps. As part of the overall river system, Ameren and the ACoE are required by license to reduce erosion and flooding along the lower Osage River and establish "ramp-down" rates after high flow conditions. This means that Ameren must coordinate water management with the Corps in regards to its role in overall flood control strategy for the entire watershed.

The Corps is also responsible for all mile marker assignments along the main channel, a holdover from its days as a navigable river.

More importantly, any projects involving any of the following will require Corps approval. These summaries are taken from Ameren's permit page. The accompanying link should be followed up for more rigorous review.

• Any activity located lakeward of elevation 658.5ft, affecting a wetland or a rare, threatened, or endangered species (requires review by the Missouri Department of Conservation as well).
• Placement of heat exchange coils for heat pumps (in conjunction with Ameren approval).
• Breakwater construction (requires Missouri State Water Patrol approval as well).
• Construction of seawalls below 658.5ft (allowed only in well documented cases of extreme erosion).

The complete permit documentation for these and other related activities are provided at Ameren's website.

or

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Truman Satellite Office
Attn: CENWK-OD-RM-HT
Route 2, Box 29C
Warsaw, MO 65355

660.438.6697
660.438.6909 fax