Improved information management, increased audits and enhanced dam owner and staff training underline the B.C. government’s ongoing commitment to dam safety over the past year, according to the fifth annual B.C. Dam Safety Program report released today.

All structures referred to in the dam safety report are licensed and regulated under the B.C. Water Act. In British Columbia, these dam owners must comply with the B.C. Dam Safety Regulation and are responsible for the safe construction, operation and maintenance, and decommissioning of their dams.

The 2014-15 annual report includes information on dam construction, inspections, audits, compliance, incidents and failures, corrective actions, dam owner training and program management highlights. The report does not include tailings ponds, which are permitted and regulated under the Mines Act and the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in B.C.

During the reporting period, dam safety officers conducted 132 audits, completed 49 project reviews for new, rehabilitated or removed dams and monitored 32 dams in construction, rehabilitation, upgrading or decommissioning phases. In addition 113 dam owners, or their representatives, were informed about or received training from dam safety staff.

The ministry sent the annual dam status reporting forms to owners of 354 high, very high, and extreme failure consequence classification dams, resulting in a 95% return rate. Of the surveys returned, 90% reported the completion of formal inspections on their dams. Ministry staff are following up with the remainder.

As part of the B.C. Dam Safety Regulation, owners of high, very high or extreme failure consequence classification dams must have a qualified professional engineer undertake a review to determine whether the dam is safe and submit a report to the dam safety officer—every seven years for extreme failure consequence classification dams and every 10 years for high and very high failure consequence classification dams.

Of the 117 dams which currently require Dam Safety Reviews, 87% are underway or have been submitted for review. Dam safety staff and compliance and enforcement officers are working with the remaining dam owners to ensure completion of overdue Dam Safety Reviews.

Dam safety staff continued to improve technical guidance documents for dam owners, and their consultants, to assist in Dam Safety Reviews and plan submissions. This included partnering with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists in the development of Dam Safety Review Guidelines to address consistency in reports prepared by engineers providing professional services in the field of Dam Safety Reviews to dam owners.

There are 1,560 regulated dams in B.C. in active operation, ranging in size from massive structures such as Mica Dam to small earth-filled dams used for domestic water supply. All dam owners in B.C. are responsible for the inspection and safety of their dams.

A copy of the 2014-2015 Annual Dam Safety Report is available online at: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/public_safety/dam_safety/index.html