
The
Water Management Act 1999 ('the Act') and the
Water Management (Safety of Dams) Regulations 2015 ('the Regulations') ensure owners of existing dams meet their dam safety responsibilities. The Regulations set out the ongoing activities and reporting requirements for dam safety and incorporates the requirements of the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) for dam safety.
The level of ongoing dam safety activities and reporting under the Regulations are dependent on the dam's Consequence Category as developed under ANCOLD. The Consequence Category is based on the severity of damage and loss to a downstream environment and infrastructure and potential Population at Risk (PAR) within the inundation area in a dambreak event situation. See the Consequence Category spreadsheet below for further assessment criteria details.
Dams that have a Significant or higher Consequence Category require more ongoing safety activities and reporting than for dams that have a Low or Very Low Consequence Category.
For dams that do require more ongoing safety activities and reporting, the following sections provide the starting point for when undertaking the required activity.
Dam Surveillance
Safety surveillance is an ongoing requirement for existing dams depending on the dam's Consequence Category. When required to be undertaken and provided, field information on the current condition of a dam is collected and documented in a surveillance report. The report is to include any safety issues identified that need to be addressed or require further attention. Action to address these issues can then be approved by the Department as required.
Comprehensive Surveillance Reports
Safety surveillance is an ongoing requirement for existing dams depending on the dam's Consequence Category, commencing after the dams first filling and then every five (5) years for the life of the dam. When required to be undertaken and provided, field information on the current condition of a dam is collected and documented in a surveillance report. The report is to include any safety issues identified that need to be addressed or require further attention. Action to address these issues can then be approved by the Department as required.
Guidelines have been developed to assist dam owners and consultants in the preparation of comprehensive surveillance reports.
Guidelines for Comprehensive Surveillance Reports (295Kb)
Dam Safety Emergency Plans
Dam safety emergency plans are required for all dams where potential of Loss of Life in the event of a dam failure has been identified. In documenting the dam safety emergency responses and procedures, a dam safety emergency plan is to be developed and once developed be implemented in the event of a dam incident. The dam owner should maintain a copy in a secured location and provide a copy to the Department for uploading to The LIST database for access by State Emergency Services (SES) as required.
The Plan provides general information about the dam, its location and outlines the potential inundation area in the event of a catastrophic dam failure. The Plan provides the relevant contact details for people to be contacted in an emergency situation and provides the emergency evacuation procedures and processes.
Guidelines have been developed to assist dam owners and consultants in the preparation of the Plan.
Guidelines for Dam Safety Emergency Plans (361Kb)
A proforma is available that provides the key aspects of a Plan.
Dam Safety Emergency Plan Proforma (352Kb)
Guidelines for Undertaking Dam Incident Investigations
Dam incident investigations and reporting are required activities under the Water Management (Safety of Dams) Regulations 2015. The competence class that a person must have is also defined in the Regulations.
These guidelines have been developed to assist dam engineers and dam consultants when undertaking dam incident investigations and reporting.
Guidelines for undertaking dam incident investigations (76Kb)
Consequence Category
Guidelines
These guidelines are provided to assist consultants and engineers working in the dams and the water industry to prepare Consequence Category assessments to meet the requirements of the Department.
In addition, these guidelines aim to establish a greater degree of consistency in the way Consequence Category assessments are undertaken, both between dams and between consultants undertaking these assessments.
Guidelines on undertaking consequence category assessments for dams (248Kb)
Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet has been developed to allow a dam to be assessed to determine the Consequence Category by assessing potential damage and loss to infrastructure and any health, social and environmental impacts in an event of dam failure. The spreadsheet also allows potential Population at Risk (PAR) to be determined within the inundation area in an event of a dam failure.
Consequence Category Assessment Spreadsheet (XLS 121Kb)
Guidelines to be followed in regards to dam safety
Regulation 10 of the Water Management (Safety of Dams) Regulations 2015 states that a person undertaking an activity for the purposes of, or in connection to, the design, construction, surveillance or decommissioning of a dam must carry out that activity in accordance with the guidelines, as amended or substituted from time to time, specified in Schedule 1 of the Regulations. Schedule 1 of the Water Management (Safety of Dams) Regulations 2015 details a range of ANCOLD and Departmental guidelines that are to be followed in relation to a range of activities.
The following table outlines the Departmental guidelines that apply and a link to those guidelines. Where any of the guidelines mentioned in Schedule 1 have been amended or substituted with new documents these will be listed in the following table.
Activity |
Water Management (Safety of Dams) Regulations 2015
reference
| Link to relevant guide; note that in some cases the guideline has been amended or substituted
|
Preparing design plans and specifications
| Schedule 1, Clause 1 (d):
Guidelines for the Construction of Earth-Fill Dams (2008)
| Permits issued before 31/12/15 may refer to
Guidelines for the Construction of Earth-Fill Dams (2008).
Permits issued since 1/1/16 must refer to either the: or
|
Preconstruction, investigation, design and reporting | Schedule 1, Clause 2 (a):
Guidelines for Pre-construction Reports (December 2015)
|
Guidelines for Pre-construction Reports (2015)
|
Schedule 1, Clause 2 (e):
Guidelines for the Construction of Earth-Fill Dams (2008)
| Permits issued before 31/12/15 may refer to
Guidelines for the Construction of Earth-Fill Dams (2008)
Permits issued since 1/1/16 must refer to either the: or |
Supervising construction and decommissioning
| Schedule 1, Clause 3:
Guidelines for the Construction of Earth-Fill Dams (2008)
| Permits issued before 31/12/15 may refer to Guidelines for the Construction of Earth-Fill Dams (2008)
Permits issued since 1/1/16 must refer to either the: or |
Preparing Work-As-Executed reports
| Schedule 1, Clause 4: DPIPWE
Guidelines for Work-As-Executed Reports for Completed Dam Works (December 2009)
| Guidelines for Work-As-Executed Reports for Completed Dam Works (December 2009)
|
Comprehensive surveillance, inspections and reports | Schedule 1, Clause 7 (b):
Guidelines for 5 Year Dam Safety Surveillance Report DPIPWE May 2015
Schedule 1, Clause 7 (e):
Guidelines on Undertaking Consequence Category Assessments on Dams DPIPWE December 2015
|


Guidelines for Comprehensive Surveillance Reports
(295Kb)
Guidelines on Undertaking Consequence Category Assessments on Dams NRE Tas December 2015
|
Safety reviews for Consequence Category Assessments
| Schedule 1,Clause 8 (c):
Guidelines on Undertaking Consequence Category Assessments on Dams DPIPWE December 2015
|
Guidelines on Undertaking Consequence Category Assessments on Dams NRE Tas December 2015 |
Dam incident investigations and reports
| Schedule 1, Clause 9
Guidelines for Undertaking Dam Incident Investigations DPIPWE 2015
|
Guidelines for Undertaking Dam Incident Investigations NRE Tas 2015
|
|
List of consultants who can assist in dam safety
A list of consultants who have indicated they are able to provide a consultancy service for ongoing dam safety activities has been developed for your use.
List of Dam Safety Consultants (PDF 173Kb)
Further Information
The Water Management (Safety of Dams) Regulations 2015 and the Water Management Act 1999 are available.
Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD).