Right to Information Extract 2010 Lenthalls dam gate failure/ dam safety

Extracts from Right to Information Request Application 09-020 Collection 10 page 275-277 Letter dated 23/7/08 extracts   Mr Tim Waldron Chief Executive Officer Wide Bay Water Corporation Po Box 5499 Torquay QLD 4655 Paragraph4;  “I would however remind you that NRW consider the failure of a gate to open automatically on demand, would constitute an incident requiring reporting under condition DS2 (1) Dam Safety.  This condition requires the dam owner to advise the chief executive in writing in seven days of becoming aware of the incident or failure.  In addition, condition DS2 (1) requires the Chief Executive to be advised in writing within thirty days of the incident or failure of ‘any proposed remedial actions’ arising out of the incident or failure”. Paragraph 5; “Wide Bay Water Corporation have initated a project aimed at replacing the bottom seals of the TOPS gates with modified seals to reduce friction loadings preventing the automatic opening of the gates on demand.” Paragraph 6; “While this project is underway and until significant operational faith has been gained that the gates will operate as intended in the original design, the gates are to be operated under the close supervision of suitably trained operators and operated manually (if required) to mimic as closely as possible, the discharge that would have occurred if they had operated as intended”. “Wide Bay Water have indicated that, in the event of manual operations becoming necessary, they will be directed by a senior WBW management representative.  While I do not consider this ideal, I understand that there is back-up radio communications if the phone system breaks down and that loss of communications to enable such direction is ‘unlikely’. Paragraph 12; “Wide Bay Water acknowledge that there is a potential risk for upstream residents to be impacted residents to be impacted as a result of the dam level rising and that the draft Emergency Action Plan (EAP) has been modified to address  this risk.  I urge you to continue to develop an enhance your associated procedures so that flood warnings are provided as early as possible and the associated risks are minimised”. From:  Scott Spencer Director General  Queensland Government Department of Natural Resources and Water.