Dam experts from WaterNSW will visit Beargamil and Lake Endeavour dams on 12 March, partnering with Parkes Shire Council to enhance the safety of local dam infrastructure.
The visit to the two dams is part of a WaterNSW partnership with local councils under the NSW Government’s Town Water Risk Reduction Program (TWRRP) which is an initiative of the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).
The TWRRP brings the strengths of major entities in the water sector, like WaterNSW, to local councils, to help improve water security, quality and reliability.
WaterNSW Executive Manager Strategy and Performance, Fiona Smith, said “One of those niche but critically important functions are the five-yearly risk reviews required under the Dams Safety Act 2015 to protect local communities and dam infrastructure.
“One of the big lessons learned from the most recent drought is the water sector must collaborate more closely to build expertise and provide better access to niche skills outside normal local government functions,”“WaterNSW is a national leader in the water sector, operating most of the large dams in NSW, which is why our experts are well placed to help councils and local water utilities identify risks and improvements to dam safety and water quality.
“The site visits to Beargamil and Lake Endeavour dams is the first step in our partnership with Parkes Shire Council.
“We are delighted to have our team working alongside Council officers to advise on their next risk review of these important local dams, and to advise on other potential compliance improvement measures,” Fiona said.