What’s often been referred to as the ‘nonsoon’ has finally broken, with Darwin River Dam on track to start flowing over the spillway in coming days thanks to rain across the Darwin region.

The dam level has risen steadily over the last week or so and, with more monsoon activity forecast for the days ahead, the dam looks set to reach 100% capacity and start flowing over the dam wall.

Power and Water Executive General Manager Water Services, Stephen Vlahovic, said it’s not uncommon for the spillway to overflow.

‘It’s great to see the dam almost full and spills often occur late in the wet season,’ he said. ‘But although it is expected, it’s timely to remind people to stay safe around flooded rivers, drains and waterways.’

Located near Manton Dam, Darwin River Dam itself is not accessible to the public, but river levels downstream may rise quickly when the dam overflows, causing sudden changes in levels at road crossings.

‘The overflow, which is guided downstream in a controlled way to prevent structural damage, could last for days or weeks, depending on how much rain falls. Please, please be careful and vigilant in that area,’ Mr Vlahovic said.

The dam supplies around 85% of the Darwin region’s water supply. Anyone can check how full the dam is at Darwin River Dam level or via the Power and Water app.

Litchfield Council, Northern Territory Police and Northern Territory Emergency Service will monitor the area for issues around flooding and safety.

Visit SecureNT for information about preparing, responding and recovering from incidents such as floods.

Contact: Media unit
Phone: 0401 117 599

To receive our latest news, please subscribe to Power and Water media releases at: https://mediareleases.nt.gov.au/home.