| 59 Dam safety regulations – what you need to know Generally, the classifiable dams will include large above-ground level storage and distribution canals. Richard Loader In May 2022, MBIE (Ministry of Innovation and Employment) announced dam safety regulations that will provide a national approach to dam safety, and that come into effect in May 2024. Most farming and irrigation dams won’t be impacted by the regulations, as they don’t meet the height or volume thresholds. While there may be consent processes currently in place for the construction of dams, the regulations look to set minimum requirements for dam safety based on industry guidelines. Irrigation New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Vanessa Winning points out that processes have often not considered a lot of the smaller farm dams, and they are not recorded in dam inventories. She says the main driver for the new regulations is the risk of catastrophic failure resulting from extreme rainfall or earthquake. Key features such as the spillway provisions for overflow have often been underestimated. “It’s about ensuring that the dams in New Zealand meet a certain set of safety standards, and that risky structures are regularly checked. The second driver is around updating the whereabouts, size and construction of those dams at both a national and local level to enable Councils to plan better in terms of activity downstream. It’s not about decommissioning dams, nor even necessarily enforcement, but it is about avoiding design mistakes that put people, environment, cultural sites and other property at risk.” The regulations will only apply to dams that are: • 4 metres or higher with a volume of 20,000m3 (8 Olympic-sized swimming pools) or greater, or IRRIGATION » Irrigation NZ: Dam Compliance • to page 60 • 1 metre or higher with a volume of 40,000m3 (16 Olympic-sized swimming pools) or greater. Small farm dams, stock drinking ponds, irrigation races, and effluent ponds that are under these thresholds are not captured by the new regulations. Generally, the classifiable dams will include large above-ground level storage and distribution canals. In conjunction with Irrigation New Zealand, MBIE has developed a tool so farm dam owners can measure and calculate the height and volume of small agricultural dams for themselves. If the dam is under the size/volume classifiable threshold, it means it is not impacted by the regulations and they don’t even need to be registered with the council. For those dams exceeding the height/volume criteria, a recognised dam engineer will be required to determine potential impact classifications and the structure needs to be registered with the Council. You can only use an engineer recognised as a specialist in dam engineering. DAMWATCH ENGINEERING www.damwatch.co.nz Contact: Steve McInerney, Business Development Manager tel: 04 381 1300 email: info@damwatch.co.nz Damwatch is pleased to support Irrigation NZ in promoting the forthcoming Building (Dam Safety) Regulations and what that means for farmers and landowners in meeting the regulatory requirements and deadlines set out in the Regulations. From 13 May 2024, the owners of dams that meet the height and volume requirements will need to confirm the potential risk their dam poses, put in place safety plans and undertake regular dam inspections. Damwatch is a team of dam engineering and dam safety specialists with a track record in successful evaluation, design and development of solutions for dams and water storage projects in New Zealand. Damwatch is well placed to assist you in negotiating the new Regulations by: • Supporting dam owners through the regulatory process • Helping to determine if your dam is a “classifiable dam” and if the forthcoming Regulations will affect you • Carrying out Potential Impact Classification (PIC) studies, appropriate to the dam, to determine if your dam has a Low, Medium of High PIC • Preparing a Dam Safety Assurance Programme (DSAP) • Carrying out annual DSAP compliance • Providing Recognised Engineers to certify and audit PIC’s and Dam Safety Assurance Programmes
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=