Queensland’s leaking dam still keeping evacuees from their homes
Low-lying areas near the dam remain off limits, two days after the dam wall collapsed. Photo: ABC
Engineers are continuing to monitor a leaking dam wall on Queensland’s Southern Downs that is at risk of failing, with up to a dozen properties still off limits due to flooding fears.
Emergency services were alerted to a 3.5m x 1.5m hole in the wall of the 430-megalitre dam on Friday
The water level in the dam has dropped about 25 per cent overnight, but fears remain the dam wall could still fail
Roads remain closed and residents are not allowed to return home until the threat eases.
Fears that the ruptured dam wall will inundate the area have been revived by an engineers’ survey. Photo: Southern Downs Council
An emergency declaration remains in place for an area surrounding the privately owned 430-megalitre irrigation dam at Talgai, north-west of Warwick, which has been leaking since Friday night.
The owner of the property found water gushing from a 3.5-metre by 1.5-metre hole in the dam wall and alerted emergency services about 5:00pm on Friday.
Several nearby properties were evacuated and other residents were told to leave for higher ground, with dangerous downstream flooding predicted to hit low-lying areas.
Emergency Alert for Talgai – Dam failure will result in dangerous downstream flooding in low lying areas between Talgai West Road and Dalrymple Creek Road, Talgai. https://t.co/HaWE8OFpi1
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) February 14, 2020
Engineers said water was being released at a controlled rate, but the dam remained at risk of failing.
Southern Downs Mayor Tracy Dobie said this morning that while the dam had dropped about 25 per cent, authorities were worried about 300 megalitres of water could rush out at once if the wall collapsed.
