Blowering upgrade attracts national interest

July 2010

The Australian National Committee On Large Dams (ANCOLD) conducted a site inspection and study tour of the Blowering Dam safety upgrade recently.

ANCOLD sets the standards of best practice for risk management in Australia, from which the NSW Dams Safety Committee and other state committees set their regulations and standards for dams within the state.

The Blowering upgrade and other upgrades State Water is undertaking are to ensure the dams comply with the standards set by the NSW Dams Safety Committee.

Blowering upgrade project manager Jay Sinha said the unique features of the project attracted the engineering body’s interest.

“The committee was interested to learn how things are being done at Blowering given the particular challenges involved in this upgrade,” Mr Sinha said.

“They looked at how the dam will be used to manage floods; how the upgrade is being implemented; and how construction is being managed given the work on the side of the dam wall,” he said.

State Water’s Chief Operating Officer Geoff Borneman said the visit was a boon for the local community as well as State Water.

“It was pleasing to present the group of dam professionals with a well executed project happening on budget and ahead of schedule,” Mr Borneman said.

“Given 60 percent of the workers on the dam are local, the community can be proud of the fact the national committee were impressed with the quality of the workmanship on the project,” he said.

28 engineers, contractors, suppliers and water utility members participated in the two day ANCOLD study tour which also included Googong and Cotter Dams

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Jane Urquhart (02) 6841 2087 0429 449 711