Get ready for new dam safety regulations

Date: 15 Jan 2024

Category: News | Compliance | Farming | Water

If you own a property with a dam or a similar structure that retains water or some other fluid (such as dairy effluent), you should start thinking about the new dam safety regulations that come into force on 13 May 2024.

The new regulations are being introduced by the Ministry for Business, Employment and Innovation (MBIE). They're designed to provide:

a nationally consistent approach to dam safety
ensuring dams and similar structures are well-operated, maintained and monitored
reduce the impact on people, property, or the environment from incidents that could cause these structures to fail.

Check if your dam or structure falls under the new regulations

If you have a dam or similar structure on your property, you should look at MBIE’s Building Performance website as soon as possible to determine if it falls under the new regulations.

Whether it’s classifiable under the new regulations depends on its height and the volume of water/fluid it can store above natural ground level.

The new regulations apply to dams that are 4 or more metres in height and store 20,000 or more cubic metres of water or other fluid.

Arranging a Potential Impact Classification (PIC)

If it does, then you’ll need to carry out a PIC. You can do this yourself or get a technical practitioner to do it for you.

Either way, a recognised engineer will need to audit and certify the PIC, which will then need to be registered on our dam safety register within 3 months of the regulations coming into effect. The online forms will be available to submit information in due course.

The PIC will give a rating of low, medium or high impact.

Depending on the rating, you may then need to submit a Dam Safety Assurance Programme (DSAP form). Based on the PIC rating, you will have either 12 months or two years to do this.