Dam Safety Report Submission (including Annual Self-Report)
Dam Safety Report Submission (including Annual Self-Report)
Contents:
- Overview
- What you need to apply
- What happens after you apply
- Links
- Tips for a successful application
Overview
This application allows the submission of dam safety reports as requested by the Comptroller of Water Rights, an Engineer or a Dam Safety Officer, designated under the Water Sustainability Act (WSA). This includes information requests pertaining to all WSA licensed dams, including those administered by BC Energy Regulator (BCER). Dam Owners can also use this report submission application to submit updated information to their Dam Safety Officer, as applicable, without an initiating information request.
Annual Self-Reports
Annual Self-Reports (formerly, dam status reports) are completed and submitted by dam owners through this application in response to an information request.
The purpose of the annual self-report is to collect information to understand how compliant a dam owner is with the Dam Safety Regulation (2016), and to identify trends across the province.
Dam Owners are required to submit an annual self-report to the Dam Safety Program. Dam Safety Officers use this information to assess compliance between dam safety audits and confirm information in the provincial dam database is current. Review of the annual self-report responses by the Dam Safety Officer may take time, so if there is an immediate dam safety concern, you should contact a Dam Safety Officer as soon as possible.
The Dam Safety Program will send a letter to dam owners in December of each year requesting them to complete their annual self-report by March 1 of the following calendar year.
Please answer the questions accurately. The questions are organized based on the Dam Safety Regulation. Schedule 2 is referenced in many of the questions and refers to the Table at the end of the Regulation describing required frequency of activities based on a dam's failure consequence classification. Refer to the Help Text for specific sections of the Regulation relevant to the question.
What you need to apply
- A Business, Personal or Basic BCeID is recommended so you can save your application and return to it later.
- Dam File Number(s) for any dams you are submitting a report for. For Annual Self-Reports, you will need Dam File Number(s) for all dams that you own with consequence classifications of high, very high, or extreme, except for petroleum and natural gas (PNG) sector dams which require reporting for all regulated and active dams. Dam File Numbers will be included in the information request package you received from either the Comptroller of Water Rights, or Engineer for PNG sector dams. If you are completing a report submission without an information request, contact your Dam Safety Officer if you are unsure of your Dam File Number.
- The Job Number that appears in the letter you received from the Comptroller of Water Rights, or Engineer for PNG sector dams.
- Retaining records related to your dam is the responsibility of the dam owner. Submission of records is not required unless specifically requested by the Dam Safety Officer. Refer to Section 21 of the Dam Safety Regulation for details.
If you are completing an Annual Self-Report, you will also need to have the following available:
- Information about the redetermination of the failure consequence classification of the dam.
- Information about keeping your dam and works in good operating condition.
- Information about the Operation, Maintenance and Surveillance (OMS) manual.
- Information about the Dam Emergency Plan (DEP).
- Information about the current condition of the signs posted at the dam.
- Information on any dam safety concerns such as hazardous conditions and potential safety hazards that were identified, actions taken to address them, and plans prepared to address those concerns.
- Information about routine surveillance of the dam and who conducted it.
- Information about formal inspection of the dam and who conducted it.
- Information about annual testing of the various components of the dam, if applicable to your dam.
- The year that the last Dam Safety Review was conducted for the dam and when your next dam Safety Review will be completed by.
- If submitting a PNG dam Annual Self-Report, the dam inspection report referenced must be uploaded together.
What happens after you apply
A Dam Safety Officer will review the information you submitted and update the records for your dam(s) in the dam safety database. The Dam Safety Officer may contact you to request additional information or schedule a site visit to meet with you and discuss any concerns related to your dam(s). Please contact your Dam Safety Officer if you have any questions about your annual self-report or dam safety concerns.
Links
Tips for a successful application
Follow these tips to make the report process easier:
- Review this guide and have all the information and documents ready before you start filling out the report.
- Use a Basic, Personal, or Business BCeID for your application. A BCeID is easy to get and allows you to save your report and reopen it to complete it at another time. The report will automatically time-out after a certain period of inactivity if not saved.
- Contact FrontCounter BC before you begin, to help you with all natural resource applications.