Manton Dam return to service

Project overview

Securing Darwin's water supply

As part of the Darwin Region Water Supply Infrastructure Program, construction of the Manton Dam Return to Service project was completed in August 2026, on time and $15 million under its $189 million budget.

Commissioning and testing of the new infrastructure is now underway before water from Manton Dam is re-introduced into the Darwin region water supply network later in 2026.

Once operational, Manton Dam will provide an additional 7,300 megalitres of water each year to the Darwin region water supply system.

The History of Manton Dam

Built in the 1940s with a storage capacity of 14,000 megalitres, Manton Dam was Darwin’s primary source of water until Darwin River Dam was commissioned in 1972. It was opened to recreation by the Northern Territory Government in the late 1980s and has been maintained since then as a potential future water supply source.

Manton Dam will continue to be a recreational resource for the community to enjoy. We are developing a new recreational management plan for the reservoir in collaboration with NT Parks and Wildlife.

To support operations and for the safety of the public and the drinking water supply, access to operational area will remain prohibited.

Image:  Access areas at Manton Dam

We will will implement additional treatment measures to ensure the water pumped from Manton Dam meets stringent drinking water quality standards.

Project timeline

The Darwin Region Water Supply Infrastructure Program – Stage 1 is jointly funded by the Australian and Northern Territory governments, delivered in partnership with Power and Water Corporation.