Ross River Dam undergoes inspection and testing in advance of next wet season

Residents are being urged to start making disaster preparations as annual testing of the Ross River Dam begins ahead of the high-risk weather season. Read council’s myth busting around the 2019 flood.

With memories of previous weather disasters still fresh in many residents’ minds, Townsville City Council has urged locals to begin making disaster preparations, coinciding with its annual inspection and testing of Ross River Dam.

Council staff working at the dam were joined by council’s senior engineers, consulting engineers, dam specialists and dam safety regulators on Thursday morning to check over the facility and observe water releases from its three spillway gates.

General Manager Water and Resource Recovery Travis Richards said it was an ideal time of year to carry out testing of the gates, leaving enough time for any necessary changes before the onset of the wet season in November.

Mr Richards estimated that 100 megalitres of water would be released during the testing – about the equivalent of an average day for Townsville’s water usage.

“For a lot of its time, it’s a water storage, but during wet weather events when we get certain rain events, it operates as a flood mitigation dam.

Ross River Dam was inspected by engineers and dam regulators on Thursday in advance of the next wet season. Picture: Leighton Smith.

“It’s the kind of asset that’s got to be ready when it’s required (so) it’s important that we test those functions,” Mr Richards said.

Multiple backups for the operation of the dam were successfully tested during the process.

Mr Richards sought to bust myths around the 2019 monsoon event which triggered the dam’s water release and subsequent flooding of residential areas.

“2019 was a big event. The dam, as it’s designed, operated very effectively, and as it should,” he said.

Water being released from Ross River Dam’s second spillway gate during testing on Thursday. Picture: Leighton Smith.

“Dam operations are highly regulated. We operate the dam in accordance with a very specific emergency action plan. That action plan controls everything from the messaging that goes out to the community to the triggers and dam levels for when the gates open, close, and all sorts of other functions.

“We stick very closely to that – that’s a regulator approved document and … we simply have experienced operators here to make sure it does what it should do at the right time.”

IN PICTURES: Townsville flood crisis

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Local Disaster Management Group Deputy Chairperson Kurt Rehbein said while testing was being carried out on the dam, it was important for the community to begin making its own preparations for the upcoming cyclone season.

“Now’s a great time to get in front of mind about whether our cyclone kits ready? Do we need to do any maintenance around the home? What are we going to do with our pets should something roll through our city?” Cr Rehbein asked.

He urged locals to bookmark the council’s Disaster Dashboard (disaster.townsville.qld.gov.au), which provided invaluable tips and updates, and to come down to Jezzine Barracks on Sunday November 5 for the council’s annual Disaster Ready Day.

Originally published as Ross River Dam undergoes inspection and testing in advance of next wet season