About

Pet Dam, located 13 kilometres south of Burnie on the Pet River, plays a vital role in supplying water to the Burnie region. The dam is gravity fed by both the Pet River and nearby Guide Dam, with water flowing into the adjacent Ridgley water treatment plant (WTP) before being distributed to the Burnie community.

Originally built in 1956 and raised in 1966, Pet Dam stores up to 4,210 megalitres of water behind a 340-metre-long earth fill embankment. Its spillway runs east from the dam to a stilling basin and bridge culvert under Circular Road.

A Dam Safety Review identified that Pet Dam no longer meets industry best practice, with concerns around the condition and capacity of the spillway, as well as potential seepage risks along key structures. These risks were highlighted during a flood event in June 2016, which caused significant damage to the spillway.

Planned Works

This project is focused on addressing these safety issues to ensure Pet Dam continues to operate reliably and safely as a key part of the region’s water supply network.

To address these issues and meet legislative safety requirements, TasWater is planning a range of upgrade works at Pet Dam. These works will be delivered in two main parts:

1. Dam embankment and pipe upgrades inside the Ridgley WTP

These works focus on essential upgrades and maintenance to the dam’s embankment and associated infrastructure within the Ridgley WTP.

• All activities will take place within the treatment plant site.
• Scheduled from October 2025 to December 2027.

2. New spillway and bridge construction on Circular Road, East Ridgley

This work involves replacing the spillway and bridge infrastructure.

• Construction is scheduled from October 2025 to December 2027.

Through these upgrades, TasWater is taking proactive steps to ensure the continued safety, reliability, and performance of Pet Dam - now and into the future.