Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Engineers don’t know why Vic dam leaking
Engineers can’t find the source of the leak in a Victorian dam amid fears it could burst as more than a hundred evacuated people wait to go home.
October 4, 2020
Pumping operations to lower the water level at a leaky Victorian dam threatening homes is going well but engineers still don’t know why the breach occurred.
More than 100 people spent a second night away from their homes after leaks were identified at the 180-megalitre private dam in Torquay, near Geelong.
Volunteers knocked on doors at over 40 homes around 1.30am on Saturday, telling 109 people to leave, with fears the privately owned dam could burst.
A few residents refused to go despite water entering a number of properties near the southern edge of the dam.
Affected residents were later told at a community meeting that six pumps were being used to reduce the water in the dam by about two metres to ground level – about 60 megalitres’ worth.
Engineers do not know the cause of the dam’s leaks and are investigating backyards and the surrounding area in a bid to discover why.
Pumping out the water will take pressure off the dam.
The water is being spread across nearby farmland, however, some is expected to enter adjacent wetlands.
Residents are advised to stay away from the area until emergency services advise it is safe to re-enter.
Affected residents are expected to be given an update about returning to their homes by mid-afternoon on Sunday.