Darwin River Dam ready to capture more this wet

01 Oct 2010

Darwin’s largest water storage is now set to hold 20 per cent more water, about 9,000 megalitres, following the completion of works to raise the dam’s spillway.

The dam has been closed during the dry season to allow the construction works to take place.

General Manager Water Services Steve McKenzie said the dam’s spillway is now 1.3m higher, which will enable the it to store 20 per cent more water and help meet the steady increase in demand in the Darwin, Palmerston and rural areas.

"Darwin River Dam has filled the past few wet seasons but our modelling shows that unless we have a heavy monsoonal downpour associated with a cyclone it may take several wet seasons before water will flow over the new spillway," he said.

Darwin River Dam supplies about 90 per cent of the drinking water for Darwin, Palmerston and surrounds.

Some 6,000 tonnes of concrete has been poured over the past six months to increase the water storage.

Mr McKenzie reminded Top Enders to be responsible with water even as the wet season made an early appearance.

"When it rains, it’s time to turn off your irrigation system," he said.

"Although our water supply is replenished in the wet season, one of the key issues we face in the Top End is high evaporation.

"Every year around double the volume of water consumed by Top End residents is lost through evaporation."

The final stage of the project to upgrade Darwin River Dam, which involves replacing gates on the intake tower and installing a new guard valve, will be completed in 2011.

A new pump station will be constructed at Darwin River Dam in 2013 to meet future demand.

The dam has reopened to the public, who can now access the picnic grounds and walk across the top of the dam wall.