A clever data management system developed by specialist power and water consulting firm Entura is helping to ensure the safety of a major dam in the NSW shire of Parkes.

An $11 million safety upgrade of the district's main dam at Lake Endeavour has just been completed. It included upgrades to the dam wall and spillway, and implementation of an early warning system (EWS) for downstream residents and emergency services.

“The early warning system upgrade will provide real-time monitoring of conditions that could result in water overtopping the Lake Endeavour Dam,” said Andrew Francis - Director of Infrastructure Parkes Shire Council.

“It’s an essential part of our dam safety management strategy, and will allow us to provide alerts to the State Emergency Service and protect downstream residents if we experience those extreme conditions.”

The EWS combines actual dam water levels, from two locations in the catchment area, with data from the Bureau of Meteorology. The data collected from the dam is managed by Entura's Ajenti Data Management System.

“An effective flood forecasting system is a vital tool for managing the significant risks that floods pose to communities, infrastructure and the environment,” said Dr Fiona Ling, Entura’s Principal Consultant in Hydrology, Resource Management and Investigations.

“If you can clearly understand the likelihood and scale of potential flooding and get accurate and timely warnings, you can better manage water infrastructure and implement safety plans in time to protect assets and communities at risk.”

Read the full media release on Entura’s website.

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Released by Samantha Meyer (03) 6230 5746