Education and training

One of the key pillars in the B.C. provincial Dam Safety Program is Education and Awareness. The program focuses on running workshops throughout the province on an annual basis. The program also develops and publishes various resources and documentation for dam owners, operators, and the general public.

Workshops

The B.C. Dam Safety Program organizes and facilitates various training sessions independently and through partnering organizations. These workshops are consistently updated to match best practices in dam safety and education.  The provincial program currently runs two workshops.

Inspection and maintenance

The Inspection and Maintenance workshop provides a general overview regarding safety topics in the world of dam safety. Participants who complete this workshop will have a better understanding of what deficiencies may be present in dams, how to spot them, and how they occur or relate to one another.

Dam management

The Dam management workshop covers all aspects of management and guidance for the safe operation of dams in B.C. These aspects are based on the dam owners obligation to remain in compliance with Dam Safety Regulation (B.C. Reg. 40/2016). Participants will gain a better understanding of provincial expectations and requirements of dam owners, and learn about key documentation associated with the regulations.

Upcoming training sessions

The Provincial Dam Safety Program will be holding a series of dam safety webinars and in-person training workshops in 2024. 

Webinars

The Dam Safety Section has partnered with Interior Dams Incorporated (Interior Dams) to create webinars for dam owners across the province. These webinars cover core concepts and fundamental knowledge for all dam owners and stakeholders in B.C. Check back here for future webinar offerings.

Upcoming 2024 Webinars

More information about these webinars are found on the Interior Dams website.

Also, please find below the links to past webinar recordings:

2024 webinars

Virtual Dam Inspection

2023 webinars

Webinar 1: Dam Safety Regulation and Consequence Classification

2022 webinars

Webinar 1: Dam Inspection and Vegetation/Animal Management Techniques

Webinar 2: Dam Performance Monitoring, Instrumentation, and Data Analysis

2021 webinars

Webinar 1: Surveillance and Inspection

Webinar 2: Operations, Maintenance and Repair

Webinar 3: Emergency Planning & Response

Workshops

Workshops are run annually through organizational partnerships including the BC Water and Waste Association, Water Supply Association, and Ministry of Agriculture. Workshops held by BCWWA and WSA may be eligible for EOCP (Environmental Operators Certification Program) credits, and have a cost associated with the course. Times and locations of these sessions vary annually depending on request and regional coverage. Individuals can request a training session in their area by contacting the program. A minimum of 8 participants may be required to hold a training session.

For more information and details on upcoming training sessions, contact our program.