Dam Safety Code

December 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.	PURPOSE OF THIS CODE	1
1.1	Application	1
1.2	Purpose	1
2.	DICTIONARY	1
2.1	Dictionary Attached	1
3.	OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF DAMS	1
3.1	Each Water Utility Must Comply with Guidelines	1
3.2	Each Water Utility to Report on Compliance	1
4.	DAM SURVEILLANCE	1
4.1	Dam Surveillance Program	1
4.2	Program Available for Chief Executive	2
5.	DAM EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANS	2
5.1	Preparation of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans	2
5.2	Contents of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans	2
5.3	Approval of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans	3
5.4	Amendments to Proposed Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans	3
5.5	Water Utility to Make Proposed Amendments	3
5.6	Chief Executive Submission of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans	3
6.	EMERGENCY EVENT REPORTING	3
6.1	Emergency Event Report to Chief Executive	3
6.2	Content of Emergency Event Report	3
6.3	The Chief Executive May Give Direction to Utility	4
7.	INSPECTION OF RECORDS	4
7.1	Each Water Utility to Keep Records	4
SCHEDULE 1: DAMS	5
DICTIONARY	6

1.	
1.	PURPOSE OF THIS CODE
1.1	Application
This Code applies to Water Utilities.
1.2	Purpose
The purpose of this Code is to ensure Dams are properly managed in order to prevent unsafe operation and/or failure that can, in turn, cause loss of life and damage to property and the environment.
2.	DICTIONARY
2.1	Dictionary Attached
The dictionary at the end of this Dam Safety Code is part of this Code.
3.	OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF DAMS
3.1	Each Water Utility Must Comply with Guidelines
Each Water Utility must operate and maintain the Dams owned or controlled by them in accordance with:
(1)	ANCOLD Guidelines; and
(2)	NSW Dam Safety Committee Technical Guidelines.
3.2	Each Water Utility to Report on Compliance
Each Water Utility must provide a written report annually to the Chief Executive in the form required by the Chief Executive that:
(1)	lists each requirement under both the ANCOLD Guidelines and the NSW Dam Safety Committee Technical Guidelines applicable to the Dams owned or controlled by it;
(2)	for each of those requirements, details as to whether the Water Utility has complied with those requirements;
(3)	for any requirements with which the Water Utility has failed to comply, a proposed course of action to ensure that, as soon as practicable, the  Water Utility complies with these requirements; and
(4)	for any requirements with which the Water Utility has failed to comply, whether the Water Utility subsequently complied with these requirements and, if not, why not.
4.	DAM SURVEILLANCE
4.1	Dam Surveillance Program
Each Water Utility must develop and maintain a Dam Surveillance Program for each Dam.  Each Dam Surveillance Program must:
(1)	be developed and maintained in accordance with current good industry and engineering practice as defined in the ANCOLD Guidelines and the NSW Dam Safety Committee Technical Guidelines;
(2)	be under the direct supervision of a competent Dam Safety Engineer; 
(3)	include routine dam surveillance, the results of which must be documented annually; and 
(4)	include comprehensive dam surveillance conducted on a rolling five year program.
4.2	Program Available for Chief Executive
Details of the Dam Surveillance Programs and the documented results of dam surveillance must be made available, on request, to the Chief Executive.
5.	DAM EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANS 
5.1	Preparation of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans
Each Water Utility must, within 6 months of the grant of its Utility Services Licence, and annually thereafter:
(1)	prepare a draft Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan for each Dam that it owns and/or operates; and
(2)	submit the Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans to the Chief Executive for approval.
5.2	Contents of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans
Each Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan must, at a minimum, contain the following information for the relevant Dam:
(1)	details of emergency situations:
(a)	failure situations;
(b)	impending failure situations;
(c)	flooding;
(d)	earthquake; and
(e)	unusual occurrences;
(2)	dam failure inundation maps for “clearday”, “imminent failure flood” and “overtopping failure floods”;
(3)	define key roles of staff employed by the Water Utility and attendance procedures;
(4)	identify relevant emergency service organisations and provide a notification directory for these organisations;
(5)	prescribe dam emergency preparedness alerts and emergency classifications;
(6)	prescribe communications and responsibilities for each authority involved, for example, Dam Manager, Dam Safety Engineer, ACT Police (Australian Federal Police), the ACT Emergency Services Bureau, NSW State Emergency Services and NSW Police; and
(7)	provide details of any installed warning systems.
5.3	Approval of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans
As soon as practicable after the Water Utility submits the Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans to the Chief Executive for approval, the Chief Executive will:
(1)	consult with interested parties including, but not limited to, the ACT Emergency Services Bureau; and
(2)	may either:
(a)	approve the Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans or
(b)	require the Water Utility to amend one or more of the Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans.
5.4	Amendments to Proposed Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans
The Chief Executive may direct a Water Utility to amend a proposed Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan or Plans only if, in the Chief Executive’s reasonable opinion, the proposed plan or plans do not adequately address any one or more of the matters referred to in clause 5.2. 
5.5	Water Utility to Make Proposed Amendments
If the Chief Executive directs a Water Utility to amend its proposed Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan or Plans under clause 5.4, the Water Utility must in good faith and within 14 days of receipt of the Chief Executive’s direction prepare and submit a revised Plan or Plans to the Chief Executive for approval.
5.6	Chief Executive Submission of Dam Emergency Preparedness Plans
As soon as practicable after approving a Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan the Chief Executive must submit the Plan to interested parties including, but not limited to, the ACT Emergency Services Bureau.
6.	EMERGENCY EVENT REPORTING
6.1	Emergency Event Report to Chief Executive
Each Water Utility must send a written Emergency Event Report to the Chief Executive not later than:
(1)	five Business Days after the occurrence of an Emergency Event; and/or
(2)	five Business Days after receiving a request from the Chief Executive,
6.2	Content of Emergency Event Report
An Emergency Event Report must be in the form required from time to time by the Chief Executive and, in the case of an Emergency Event Report submitted under clause 6.1(2), it must contain the following:
(1)	details of the event and the Dam at which the event took place;
(2)	the time and date at which the event took place;
(3)	notification involved;
(4)	agencies notified;
(5)	the status of the Dam;
(6)	maintenance details and other actions to be taken by the Water Utility to ensure the long term safety of the Dam; and
(7)	any other details requested by the Chief Executive.
6.3	The Chief Executive May Give Direction to Utility
If, on the basis of an Emergency Event Report, the Chief Executive is not satisfied with:
(1)	a Water Utility’s adherence to its respective Dam Emergency Preparedness Plan following an Emergency Event; and/or
(2)	a Water Utility’s compliance with the ANCOLD Guidelines and/or NSW Dam Safety Committee Technical Guidelines following an Emergency Event,
the Chief Executive may give a direction to the Water Utility.
7.	INSPECTION OF RECORDS
7.1	Each Water Utility to Keep Records
Each Water Utility must keep, or cause to be kept, comprehensive and accurate records of:
(1)	compliance with the requirements of the ANCOLD Guidelines and the NSW Dam Safety Committee Technical Guidelines;
(2)	compliance with the requirements of this Code; and
(3)	any other matters reasonably required by the Chief Executive.

SCHEDULE 1: DAMS

(1)	The dam known as Cotter Dam located on the Cotter River.

(2)	The dam known as Bendora Dam located on the Cotter River.

(3)	The dam known as Corin Dam located on the Cotter River.

(4)	The dam known as Googong Dam located on the Queanbeyan River.

(5)	The Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Centre Bypass Storage Dam.

DICTIONARY
(1)	“Act” means the Utilities Act 2000;
(2)	“ANCOLD” means the Australian National Committee on Large Dams;
(3)	“ANCOLD Guidelines” means the most recent “Guidelines on Dam Safety and Management” published by ANCOLD;
(4)	 “Business Day” means a day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday in the Territory;
(5)	“Chief Executive” has the same meaning and functions as defined under the Act;
(6)	 “Dam” means a dam referred to in Schedule 1 of the Dam Safety Code and includes appurtenant works;
(7)	"Dam Safety Code" means the Dam Safety Code approved as a Technical Code by the Minister under the Act;
(8)	 “Emergency Event” means an emergency as defined from time to time under the ANCOLD Guidelines and these may include seismic, flood, landslides, or other unusual events such as sabotage;
(9)	 “ICRC” means the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission established under section 5 of the Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission Act 1987 (ACT);
(10)	 “Minister” means the Minister responsible for administering Part 5 of the Act;
(11)	 “NSW Dam Safety Committee” means the Dam Safety Committee constituted under the Dam Safety Act 1978 (NSW);
(12)	“NSW Dam Safety Committee Technical Guidelines” means the technical guidelines published from time to time by the NSW Dam Safety Committee;
(13)	 “Technical Code” means a code approved or determined by the Minister under Part 5 of the Act;
(14)	“Territory” means the Australian Capital Territory;
(15)	 “Utility” has the same meaning and functions as defined under the Act;
(16)	“Utility Services Licence” means a licence granted to a Utility by ICRC under Part 3 of the Act;
(17)	"Water Services" means those services as defined in the Act;
(18)	"Water Utility" is a Utility licensed under the Act, to provide Water Services.