Dam management

Dams Safety NSW declares dams that:

• can potentially endanger life downstream
• cause major damage or loss to infrastructure or the environment
• have major health and social impacts.

Each declared dam is given a consequence category to reflect potential danger. Population growth is the most common reason for a change.

We work in partnership with WaterNSW, which supplies most of our untreated water from rivers and dams. WaterNSW manages 11 major dams and reservoirs and 21 declared storage dams. We manage 18 declared dams within our operating area.

Our dams support drinking water, recreation and stormwater management. We assess and maintain them to keep people safe and ensure they continue to perform as designed.

Maintaining our dams helps us:

• protect people living downstream
• keep water safe and reliable
• protect property and the environment
• reduce long‑term maintenance costs
• find issues early before they become serious.

We are required manage risks to our dams under the Dams Safety Act 2015 and the Dams Safety Regulation 2019. These laws set the rules we follow to make sure our dams do not put people, property or the environment at risk.

We inspect and monitor each declared dam through scheduled assessments, engineering reviews and on‑site checks.

Our work includes looking at:

• embankments
• foundations
• seepage
• vegetation
• access roads and structures.

This allows us to check above ground, below ground and the dam structure. If we find a potential risk, we act quickly. We plan maintenance, make repairs and manage vegetation.