Satisfying operational and flood mitigation requirements while meeting modern engineering and safety standards

Somerset Dam Improvement Works

Not only do dams play a vital role in storing water for our communities, but equally importantly, they work towards keeping us safe during floods. As part of Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Project (SDIP), we’re preparing a detailed business case and design for the upgrade of Somerset dam. The goal is to improve the dam’s ability to withstand extreme floods and earthquakes, enable the reservoir level to be restored to its original full supply level, and meet today’s engineering and dam safety standards.

We are developing the proposed upgrade options to safely pass the latest estimate of the probable maximum flood and satisfy either the risk-based or fall-back requirements of the Queensland Guidelines on Acceptable Flood Capacity for Water Dams. Our work also involves developing detailed gated spillway options to generate increased flood mitigation benefits from the minimum required dam safety upgrades. We are preparing a detailed risk assessment in accordance with the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD) Guidelines on Risk Assessment and the Queensland Guidelines on Acceptable Flood Capacity for Water Dams to confirm the project need and its priority within the SDIP.

A detailed risk assessment will also be completed for each of the proposed options to demonstrate that the “minimum required upgrade” criteria will be met by the upgrade options. When complete, this project will help Seqwater better support their dam improvement program and Somerset dam upgrade plans.