Kempsey Shire Council's water supply system is being upgraded
by the construction of the Steuart McIntyre Dam and ancillary
works. The dam is situated 10km west of Kempsey and is nearing
completion.
The primary purpose of the dam is to provide security of
water supply in times of drought. This need was highlighted
in 1994 when a drought caused the Macleay River to stop flowing
for 5 weeks, causing severe water restrictions to be imposed
on Kempsey Shire residents. In times of low flow in the Macleay
River, the dam will supply all of Kempsey's water without
the need to draw water from the river.
In addition to drought security the dam will also reduce
environmental stress on the Macleay River during low flows,
reduce dirty water problems and provide for continued development
in the Kempsey area.
The dam is termed an off-stream storage and will hold 2,500
Megalitres of water when full which is equivalent to about
1,500 Olympic swimming pools.
Construction costs of the dam and associated pump stations
and pipelines total $18.2 million which is met by Kempsey
Shire Council (57%) and State Government (43%). The dam is
scheduled to be completed in late 2000 and is scheduled to
be filled in late 2001.
The main organisations involved in the dam design and construction
are as follows:
Kempsey Shire Council: Local water supply authority
NSW Department of Land and Water Conservation: Funding
Partner
NSW Department of Public Works and Services: Dam Design
and Construction Project Management
