Grahamstown Dam
Constructed between 1955 and 1965, Grahamstown Dam is an off-river storage source that extracts water from the Williams River and receives inflow from its own catchment.
Dams and catchments
Hunter Water is aware that Geoscience Australia confirmed a magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Denman, NSW, just after midday, Friday 23 August.
As per our dam safety protocols following an earthquake, our teams completed detailed visual inspections of both Grahamstown and Chichester Dams.
Upon inspection, there was no visible sign of damage at either site.
Hunter Water performed further detailed inspection later the same afternoon, and again the following morning. The safety of our community is paramount, and we want to reassure the community that the dams continue to operate safely and will continue to be monitored daily.
We operate a number of different dams, sandbeds and rivers throughout the Lower Hunter to provide quality drinking water to our customers.
Here you can learn where each of these water sources is located and find out some interesting facts about the sites.
Our current storage levels
Our water levels drop faster than most other major Australian urban centres during hot, dry periods because we have shallow water storages and high evaporation rates.
Chichester Dam
Chichester Dam was the first dedicated drinking water storage system to the Hunter, and to this day is considered one of the most pristine catchments in Australia.
Tomago Sandbeds
This underground water source runs parallel to the coast between Newcastle and Port Stephens, starting at Tomago and stretching north-east towards Lemon Tree Passage.
Tomaree Sandbeds
This underground water source is covered by Tomaree National Park and is the primary water source for the Tomaree Peninsula.
Paterson and Allyn Rivers
Rising in Barrington Tops National Park and Chichester State Forest and flowing south-easterly, these river catchments are administered by Dungog Shire Council while Hunter Water manages the drinking water supply. They are also the main source of water for the township of Gresford.
Public Access to dams and catchments
We’re passionate about protecting the Hunter’s drinking water, so before you explore our dams and catchments, take a look through these public access guidelines and help us keep our region’s supply safe.
Report illegal activity or access
If you have witnessed illegal activity, for example dumping of rubbish, burnt out vehicles, or unauthorised access to our land we want to know.
Dam safety standards reports
Each year we prepare dam safety standards reports for each of our dams, demonstrating compliance with dam safety standards. To access the reports, visit our regulatory reporting page and click on the Regulatory Reports tab.