Dam Waters

What are we monitoring?

The amount of water available in dams that supply Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

The graph below shows amount of water available in megalitres and as a percentage of the water available when the dams are full.

The term "full operating storage" is used to describe the amount of water the Sydney Catchment Authority can extract from the dams when they are full. This is less than the total water stored in the full dams, as the dams cannot be completely drained. "Available storage" is the amount of water that is currently available. The available storage is also expressed as a percentage of the full operating storage.

What is the trend?

The available water in our dams decreased by approximately 60% between 1999 and 2005. Since then, the available water has been stable but low.

Why is monitoring this trend important?

Dams allow water to be harvested and channelled for human purposes on a large scale. The Blue Mountains is highly dependent on dams managed by Sydney Catchment Authority for potable water supply. These dams include the Cascade Dams near Katoomba and Greaves Creek Dam near Medlow Bath, as well as the massive Warragamba Dam.

Most dams are currently low. For many years now, demand for water has outpaced supply. With future rainfall likely to be less than historic rainfall, the need for water conservation and alternative water supplies (eg. rainwater tanks, recycling) is now a major issue for communities and government.

Source

Sydney Catchment Authority http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/dams