Dams and drought security

Sydney’s network of 11 major dams will continue to provide most of our water, even with increased water recycling and desalination.

Here’s how we’re managing dams better to provide more drinking water and improve the health of our rivers and catchments:

• We can now reach water at the bottom of Warragamba and Nepean dams, meaning more dam water is available for use in case we need it.
• New pumps and pipes at Nepean Dam have been used to pump water to the Avon Dam and provide a more secure supply of water for the Illawarra.
• Water restrictions have helped keep more water in the dams. These can be reintroduced as part of Sydney's emergency drought response and can be strengthened (to a maximum of level 3) or relaxed as dam levels change.
• Water can be transferred from Tallowa Dam in the Shoalhaven to the larger dams when they are low. On 7 November 2008, a three-year moratorium was announced on these transfers. Longer term transfer arrangements are to be considered as part of the review of the Metropolitan Water Plan.
• We have prepared so we can pump groundwater into the dams, if it is needed during severe drought.

Much work is also being done on the dams to enable more releases of water for river health.

Find out more about what's next and what’s happening with dams and drought security measures in the 2008 Progress Report.

To find out more visit the Sydney Catchment Authority and Sydney Water websites, or view Chapter 3 and Chapter 7 of the Plan.

This page was last updated on 07 Jul 2009.