Warragamba Dam spill has commenced
12 MAY 2024Following steady rainfall across Sydney's water supply catchments, Warragamba Dam is at full capacity and started spilling at 7.30am today.
At 8am Sunday 12 May, Warragamba Dam was spilling at a rate of 6.5 gigalitres per day (GL/day) and increasing.
A number of smaller Greater Sydney dams continue to spill including Cataract, Nepean, Woronora, Tallowa, Greaves Creek, Medlow Bath, and Middle Cascades.
The Warragamba catchment received 28mm of rain in the 48 hours to 5am Sunday, less than forecast.
The community should continue to monitor advice on river levels and any flood warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology.
- Check the Bureau website to receive the latest weather and flood information – www.bom.gov.au
- For emergency information, contact the NSW SES – 132 500 or www.ses.nsw.gov.au
Background
Spills from Warragamba Dam are not uncommon, occurring more than 50 times since 1960.
The Warragamba Dam catchment area covers 9000 sq/km and stretches across much of the Blue Mountains to Goulburn in the south, and to Lithgow in the north.
As manager of the state’s major supply dams, WaterNSW operates Warragamba Dam in line with NSW Government operating rules and protocols.
These rules do not permit water being released to reduce the storage level ahead of predicted rainfall for flood mitigation purposes. This reflects the dam’s critical role in supplying 80% of Sydney’s drinking water.
Media contact – 02 9685 4350 or email media@waternsw.com.au
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