Seqwater alleviates concerns on Ewen Maddock Dam
THE safety of Ewen Maddock Dam has been the subject of some speculation in recent days and I wanted to allay any fears that the community may have.
Seqwater dams across South East Queensland continue to operate safely including Ewen Maddock.
Seqwater recently provided advice to the Sunshine Coast Council in relation to a development proposed downstream of the dam wall. This advice was in relation to the potential risks of rare and extreme weather and other events in the future. These events are larger than experienced at the dam in its history.
While there are existing developments downstream let's be clear - there is no suggestion that, given the very low probability of one of these events occurring, existing developments need to be removed.
It is worth noting that Seqwater has daily inspections of the dam and a comprehensive suite of dam monitoring instrumentation to detect any changes in the condition of the dam. This is the same for the remainder of Seqwater's dams.
Ewen Maddock is one of a number of dams across the region scheduled for an update as part of Seqwater's Dam Improvement Program.
Most South East Queensland dams were constructed in the 1960s or 1970s. Ewen Maddock was constructed in two stages 1976 and 1983. There have been significant advances in dam design since that time. Our knowledge and understanding of the size and impact of extreme weather and other events has also increased markedly.
In recent years we have undertaken a portfolio risk assessment of all 26 Seqwater dams across the region, including Ewen Maddock, against the required Queensland Dam Safety legislation and national guidelines. The assessment and subsequent on ground investigations has allowed Seqwater to prioritise upgrades.
Seqwater completed an initial upgrade of Ewen Maddock in 2012. The next upgrade is scheduled for 2019.
Dams are large-scale public infrastructures and maintaining their safety is paramount. The upgrade of Ewen Maddock will increase the dam's resilience to rare and extreme events.
Upgrading dams is a regular part of our business. Over the past decade, in addition to Ewen Maddock, we have upgraded a range of dams across SEQ including Hinze, Borumba, North Pine, Maroon, Moogerah and Wappa.
As part of our Dam Improvement Program we actively engage with our downstream neighbours on planned upgrades. We are planning the same engagement with our neighbours downstream of Ewen Maddock.
Residents can be confident that Seqwater is an expert dam owner and operator and has a comprehensive, peer reviewed, inspection and testing program to ensure the dams will serve the community safely for many years to come.
For more information about Seqwater's Dam Improvement Program or to register for future updates on the Ewen Maddock upgrade visit www.seqwater.com.au.
- Seqwater chief executive Jim Pruss
