King Township Fire Chief Bryan Burbidge likes to stay on top of things. Here, he stands on a 100-foot segment of the new aqua barrier that has been purchased jointly by the fire services in King and Bradford - West Gwillimbury. Heavy snowfalls this winter and the spring thaws have increased concerns for flooding in such places as the Holland Marsh.

But a joint project between the fire departments in King and the Town of Bradford - West Gwillimbury may offer a simple solution to the fears.

In essence, it's a portable dike, which can be filled with water and and used to prevent flooding. King Fire Chief Bryan Burbidge pointed out obtaining the necessary water in the event of a flood is no big issue, since the water is already at hand, and needs simply to be pumped into the the bag.

He added the main detail still to be worked out is where to store this equipment.

Patrick Maher, sales manager with Atlas Dewatering, which distributed the product, said it was originally developed some years ago by the American Army Corps of Engineers.

King's Director of Operations Jody LaPlante and Fire Chief Bryan Burbidge study the new water inflatable cofferdam at a demonstration held last Wednesday at the fire hall in Bradford. Water levels in Lake Simcoe have been a concern this year, but Burbidge said there are a number of other possible uses this equipment could be put to, such as containment in the event of a hazardous material spill.

"In future, it will come in handy for a lot more uses as well," he remarked.

Called a water inflatable cofferdam, he said the two municipalities have jointly purchased 3,000 feet, in 100 and 50-foot increments.

When needed, Burbidge said they can be filled to 75 per cent capacity with water, and they would be three feet high and seven feet wide. He added a 100-foot section can be filled in about 20 minutes. It would take four or five hours to fill enough sand bags to create a similar dike, Burbidge observed, adding that's assuming there's enough sand readily available

Burbidge said these portable dams cost $127,000, and that expense is being split three ways, between the two municipalities and the provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

Patrick Maher, sales manager with Atlas Dewatering, was demonstrating how these water inflatable cofferdams are filled. Maher said the dams are made of similar material to that used to line swimming pools. He added when the dams are full, they hold 1,627 litres of water per linear metre.

He also said these dams should last forever, adding cuts to the material are easy to patch. "They can be fieldrepaired in the wet," he said.

Emptying the dams doesn't present much of problem either, he stated. There are valves to let the water run out, and since they are under nothing more than atmospheric pressure, there's no danger of any great gushing of water.