SPLITYARD CREEK DAM EMERGENCY SIRENS
At CleanCo, safety is our highest priority for our people, our operations and the communities we work alongside. At our Wivenhoe Pumped Storage Power Station, we are improving the alert system associated with Splityard Creek Dam – the upper reservoir dam which supports the operation of the power station – by installing emergency sirens at three locations downstream of the dam.
On the very rare occasion when there is concern of a catastrophic and rapid failure of the dam, CleanCo will sound the siren, providing an urgent warning to people in the vicinity of Splityard Creek Dam.
The siren warnings are in addition to other emergency action plan (EAP) notifications that may be sent by CleanCo or the Somerset Regional Council under the Local Disaster Management Plan.
Managing our dams
CleanCo applies current standards and best practice engineering to ensure all our dams are maintained to a very high safety standard. Splityard Creek Dam is closely monitored through tri-weekly visual inspections as recommended by the State dam safety guidelines. We also use remote technology that helps detect early signs of any changes or issues of concern.
Dam failures are extremely rare – there has only been one instance in Australia in the past 90 years. A dam failure may involve the physical collapse of all or part of a dam, or the uncontrolled release of large volumes of water. Causes of dam failure include:
- large earthquakes that cause the dam wall and embankments to crack
- erosion of the surrounding land
- third party interference, e.g. terrorism or a high energy impact.
While the likelihood of a dam emergency at Splityard Creek Dam is very low, the potential consequences could be life-threatening. The new emergency sirens are part of our early warning system to give downstream residents time to act and stay safe in the event of an emergency. We also encourage local residents to plan using tools like getready.qld.gov.au.
CleanCo manages a number of dams – learn more about these dams and read our Dam Safety Policy.
How Wivenhoe Pumped Hydro Power Station works
Key Facts
What does the siren sound like?
The emergency sirens will only be activated if the Emergency Action Plan for a dam failure has been triggered.
The siren will be activated as a Standard Emergency Warning Signal. There are two parts to the siren:
- a ‘whoop whoop’ sound – listen
- and then the announcement ‘dam emergency, dam emergency, act now’ – listen
An audible test of the siren will be done once a year, along with silent weekly testing, to ensure all systems are working as required. We will notify the surrounding community in advance of the annual test. If you hear a siren without prior notice, treat it as an emergency.
What area will the sirens cover?
There are many variables that will influence where the sound of the sirens will travel, including wind direction, the topography of the landscape and other noise occurring at the same time, such as machinery and road traffic. This map shows the proposed path of the sirens.
Note: the location of siren 1 is currently being finalised.
What to do if you hear a siren
While instances of dam failure are rare, the impacts can be catastrophic. If you hear the dam emergency siren sound, you need to act immediately. Activate your household emergency plan and evacuate as quickly as possible to a safe place.
About the sirens
Each siren is six (6) metres high, and features audio equipment, a power source and telecommunications. The siren is solar powered with a battery backup and can run for up to 24 hours once activated. The volume ranges from 60-90 decibels, depending on where a person is in relation to the siren if activated. As a comparison, a household washing machine is 60 decibels, while a lawn mower is 90 decibels.
More information
If you have a question about the emergency sirens at Splityard Creek Dam, please email community@cleancoqld.com.au
