Are you summer safety ready?

With the summer holidays upon us, the state’s dam operator WaterNSW is reminding visitors to always put safety first when visiting our dams and recreation areas. WaterNSW operates 20 dams across regional NSW, most of which are also available for water sports.

“Summer is always a busy time at our regional recreation lakes and campgrounds,” Michelle Yeaman, WaterNSW General Manager Regional Operations North, said.

“Dams such as Chaffey, Copeton and Keepit are always popular in summer,” said Michelle, who is based in Armidale on the NSW Northern Tablelands. “Our lakes are there to share, so please be mindful of others.

“That’s why we’re proud to support campaigns like Royal Life Saving’s #AreYouSummerReady, to remind visitors to our sites to get ready for summer and stay switched on to safety.”

Craig Roberts, General Manager of Drowning Prevention, Royal Life Saving NSW ACT Tasmania, said the #AreYouSummerReady is about checking in with yourself and your family, so you can safely enjoy a water way of life this summer.

“While national drowning rates decreased in 2022-23 from the 10-year average, NSW still suffers almost double the number of drownings than Queensland and Victoria, and triple the rate of Western Australia, with 107 lives lost in 2022-23,” Craig said.

“We want people of all ages and from all regions, to be ready and able to enjoy the water safely, and that starts now.”

If you see a hazard or an incident at any WaterNSW site, please call our incident reporting line on 1800 061 069. In an emergency, always call 000 first.

Check out our tips on staying safe at our sites, and visit our dams pages to check if your preferred site is open. You can also register for our Early Warning Network (EWN), which is our automated notification system to help you stay safe by updating you on dam and water supply activities.