The Sooke Lake Dam will be getting an all-over checkup to identify and estimate the cost of any deficiencies.
Its health is important — the Sooke Lake Reservoir is the main source for the region’s drinking water and a failure of the dam is deemed as having potential for extreme consequences.
If the dam failed, according to a provincial rating system, it could result in 100 or more deaths, major habitat loss, and high economic losses affecting critical infrastructure.
Capital Regional District dams are regulated by the province’s dam safety regulations under the Water Sustainability Act. Dam safety reviews are required to conform with dam safety regulations, Zoe Gray, regional district spokesperson, said Thursday.
In the case of the Sooke Lake Dam, a safety review is required every seven years, she said. It’s time for an updated review this year.
“There are currently no issues that have come to the CRD’s attention regarding the Sooke Lake Dam.”
The CRD has issued a request for proposals for a comprehensive review of the safety of the dam, built in 1970, by a professional engineer. This request closes April 27 and work is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
In 2002, the 533-metre-long dam was raised by 7.3 metres to its current elevation of 190.75 metres.
Last year, the regional district approved a master plan to secure water supply for the coming decades and to develop infrastructure to improve its water supply and transmission system.
The program was expected to cost close to $2 billion as it was rolled out, including preparing for impacts from climate change, population growth and water-treatment requirements. Each project needs board approval.
For the dam’s safety review, the consultant will look at more than 40 previous safety analyses and reports, inspection and upgrading work, hazard analyses, safety management practices and overall safety of the structure.
Improvements include repairing hydraulic controls for the low-level spillway gates and a current program to design and install a new automated monitoring system.
The dam safety review will present an action plan to the board, listing deficiencies and ranking them, detailing recommended actions and showing cost estimates.
The job entails reviewing information and data on the dam, a review in the field of the dam and associated structures such as its intake tower, generator buildings, reservoir and outlet channel.
Emergency preparedness will be vetted as well.
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