SA Water has released a new concept animation showing a design for an upgrade of Mount Bold Dam to improve its safety.
According to SA Water’s General Manager of Sustainable Infrastructure, Amanda Lewry the series of gates currently controlling the release of water are to be replaced by three-stage spillways along the dam crest with a primary spillway slot three metres wide and 5.6 metres high.
Ms Lewry said the funding of $12.7 million for the project had been secured with all the local Council, State and Federal Governments contributing to the improved flood attenuation and the conceptual design.
Ms Lewry said the upgrade of South Australia’s largest dam has been more than 10 years in the making.
“Our upgrade of Mount Bold’s dam is the culmination of years of planning and will be one of the largest capital projects in our history once completed,” Ms Lewry said.
“To elevate the dam’s safety, we’ll be constructing significant concrete protection downstream of the dam to reduce the risk of erosion, while strengthening the wall with new concrete to increase its capacity to withstand earthquakes and extreme flood events,” she said.
“Our proposed new design for the dam will facilitate self-managed flows to enhance the current-gated system, which is a series of eight gates that are remotely controlled to release water.”
She said the move was a more efficient plan as it would allow for the retention of water during extreme weather events due to the dam’s ability to store water temporarily and release it at a rate three times slower compared to having all the gates open.
She said eight of the utility’s dams had been upgraded since 2002.
“Our considered approach to enhancing dam safety is to address the highest risks first and this has resulted in a major upgrade almost every two years since the program began,” Ms Lewry said.
She said Mount Bold had a lower risk when compared to other dams.
“Once our Mount Bold project is complete, the dam will be able to safely pass up to a ‘one in five million year’ weather event.
She said major construction was expected to begin working in the coming years ahead and the project would take several years to complete.
