Work complete on pivotal new Walcha Dam

Walcha’s 3000 residents will soon have access to a drought-resilient water supply, thanks to the completion of a new $11 million off-stream storage dam co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments.

The new 300 megalitre dam is four times the size of the town’s previous storage, or the size of 120 Olympic swimming pools, marking a giant leap forward in securing safe and reliable water for the town in the long-term.

Upgrades to river offtake pumping infrastructure are due for completion early next year, when the scheme will be fully operational. This includes new pipework to connect the dam to the nearby town water supply pump station.

During the most extreme drought on record in 2019, Walcha’s water supplies hit record lows and residents and businesses were placed on severe water restrictions.

The critical new infrastructure will help safeguard the town’s access to drinking water for decades to come, even during prolonged dry periods.

The dam has been built on a small tributary adjacent to the MacDonald River, 16 kilometres from existing water infrastructure.

It marks one of the most important water infrastructure projects in the region’s history, providing a secure water supply to residents and businesses in Walcha as the state braces for the next dry period.

It will mean improved access to drinking water and more certainty for the community, which faced very difficult circumstances during the last drought.

The project was delivered by Walcha Council and was jointly funded through the NSW Government’s Critical Drought Fund ($9 million) and the Australian Government’s National Water Grid Fund ($2 million) as part of the NSW Connections package ($26.9 million).