Keepit Dam’s spillway gates are getting a new lease on life. Work is starting to apply a protective coating on two of them, which will extend their life by up to 25 years.
“Our program of coating works for weirs, regulators and dam spillway gates throughout Northern NSW improve each structure’s resilience to environmental factors,” WaterNSW General Manager Regional Operations North, Michelle Yeaman, said. “Industrial coating is an essential part of the WaterNSW’s maintenance program that provides greater value to customers by extending the life of our assets by up to 25 years.”
The Keepit Dam coating works started on 1 July and will take about five months to complete, weather permitting.
The works will not impact the operation of the dam or access to nearby recreational facilities. Environmental controls will be in place to prevent impacts to water quality.
Keepit Dam is the latest of several weirs, regulators and dams treated under WaterNSW’s Northern NSW Coatings Program over the past few years.
In August 2023 work was completed applying a protective coating to the Gunidgera Weir gates on the Namoi River west of Wee Waa.
In 2022-23 work was completed to extend the lifespan of the gates at Tareelaroi Weir on the Gwydir River east of Moree and at Marebone Weir on the Macquarie River northwest of Warren.
The protective coating will ensure that the Tareelaroi and Marebone weir gates continue to operate reliably, managing the diversion of water into the Mehi River and Marra Creek, respectively.
“To minimise impacts to the community and customers, this important maintenance work on our weirs was completed outside the irrigation season when customer demand for water is lower,” Yeaman said. “WaterNSW invests in regular maintenance and upkeep to ensure the reliability of our assets into the future and provide the best outcomes for our customers.”
Completed in 1960, Keepit Dam increased the availability of water for irrigation, leading to increased agricultural production of cotton, lucerne, cereals, oilseeds, wheat, and vegetables in the region and driving the growth of downstream towns, including Gunnedah, Narrabri, Wee Waa, and Walgett.
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