Dam safety compliance and enforcement
Last updated on January 16, 2024Dam owners must be certain that their dams meet current engineering standards. Dam owners are required to:
- Annually redetermine the dam failure consequence classification
- Perform regular inspections and maintenance
- Report any incidents
- Take immediate action to resolve outstanding issues
- Review the regulation
Annual Self-Report
Owners of dams with a failure consequence classification of high, very high, or extreme are required to complete and submit an annual self-report (formerly, dam status report) for each dam to the Dam Safety Program. Additionally, petroleum and natural gas sector owners of regulated active dams are also required to submit annual self-reports. Owners of dams that require reclassification to one of these failure consequence ratings are also required to submit annual self-reports.
Dam safety officers use the information in annual self-reports to assess compliance between dam safety audits, ensure information in the provincial dam database is current, and help dam owners address any emerging dam safety issues. Dam safety officers may contact dam owners to request more information or arrange a meeting to discuss dam safety concerns. More information about annual self-reporting is available in the Annual Self-Report – Information Sheet (PDF).
2023 Annual Self-Reporting (NEW)
Dam owners will receive a letter from the Comptroller of Water Rights or the BC Energy Regulator Engineer designated under the Water Sustainability Act in December of 2023 with instructions for completing and submitting the 2023 annual self-report.
The deadline for submitting completed reports to the Dam Safety Program is March 1, 2024.
Online annual self-reporting
The Provincial Dam Safety Program has introduced online report submission for annual self-reports. Dam owners are encouraged to complete and submit reports online through Frontcounter BC. Instructions for completing reports online can be found on page 2 of the Annual Self-Report - Information Sheet. For more detailed step-by-step instructions, please refer to the Annual Self-Report User Guide.
If you do not have a computer, or require assistance completing your report online, please contact FrontCounter BC by email at FrontCounterBC@gov.bc.ca or by phone at 1-877-855-3222 or visit your local FrontCounter BC office.
Alternative annual self-reporting
If you are unable to complete the report online, you did not receive a letter from the Comptroller or the designated BC Energy Regulator Engineer, you own a dam that requires reclassification to a high, very high, or extreme failure consequence rating, or if you are a petroleum and natural gas sector dam owner with a new regulated active dam, please complete and submit the report using the Annual Self-Report form (MS Word) – 2023 EXCEPT for petroleum and natural gas sector dam owners who use this form.
If you are the owner of more than one dam, you must complete and submit a separate form for each dam with a high, very high, or extreme failure consequence classification. For oil and gas dam owners, a separate form for each regulated active dam applies.
Questions?
For more information contact Kevin Lee, Dam Safety Resource Specialist, at (604) 586-4442 or email dam.safety@gov.bc.ca.
Dam Safety Compliance and Enforcement Policy, Strategy and Procedures
The Dam Safety Compliance and Enforcement Policy supports implementation of the program's Compliance and Enforcement Strategy and Procedures. The Strategy and Procedures provide a framework and decision-support tools for Dam Safety Officers and Natural Resource Officers in the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. The tools complement existing practices and clarify when a dam safety compliance process becomes an enforcement process. These and other Water Sustainability Act related policies are also available here:
Contact information
If you have questions about your responsibilities as a dam owner, please contact the B.C. Dam Safety Program.