If you’re unable to access this application, check current outage notices or reach out for support.
Before you start
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. 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.
Overview
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 questions in this survey should be answered based on activities, information or work undertaken for your dam(s) in the calendar year. The purpose of this compliance survey is to collect information to confirm your compliance as a dam owner with the Dam Safety Regulation and to identify trends across the province. Please answer the questions accurately and honestly. If multiple dam owners are experiencing similar challenges meeting the requirements of the regulation, this allows the dam safety section to identify an issue and adjust the program, training or technical resources.
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.
Abbreviations and terms
The following abbreviations and terms are used in the questions and are as defined by the Dam Safety Regulation:
- Inundation area: The estimated area downstream of the dam that would experience flooding if the dam was to fail catastrophically.
- DEP: Dam emergency plan
- OMS Manual: Operation, maintenance and surveillance manual
- Hazardous condition: Conditions, including without limitation, defects or insufficiencies of the dam that (a) are or are likely to be hazardous to the dam, or (b) may reasonably be anticipated to cause all or part of the dam, or any operation or action at or in connection with the dam, to be or become potentially hazardous to (i)public safety, (ii)the environment, or (iii)land or other property
- Potential safety hazard: Means conditions that are not yet, but have the potential to become, hazardous conditions in relation to the dam
- Formal Inspection: A thorough on-site inspection of the dam and dam site conducted by a person who is an owner of the dam or an agent of an owner of the dam
- Site surveillance: Monitoring of a dam and the area surrounding or adjacent to the dam through visual observations and if there is instrumentation relating to the dam, through the systematic collection of instrumentation readings and analysis and interpretation of the readings
- Dam safety review (DSR): A formal report prepared by a professional engineer who has qualifications and experience in dam safety analysis to determine if the dam is safe, or if not safe what actions are required to make it safe
Apply
Review and collect the information and documents required before you start an application.
For all reports
- 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.
For annual self-reports
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
Register for BCeID to submit an application to FrontCounter BC
A BCeID allows you to save, reopen and check the status of your natural resource application:
- Basic BCeID can be used in a personal capacity
- Business BCeID is used when representing a legal entity
Submit report
Once you have assembled the required documents, apply online.
If you’re unable to access this application, check current outage notices or reach out for support.
Amend your application
After you have submitted an application, you can amend or cancel it:
- If you applied with a BCeID, log in to manage your application including updating or cancelling it
- If you applied without a BCeID, log in to update a submitted application or cancel an application
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.
Contact information
Find the FrontCounter BC office closest to you.
FrontCounter BC Toll Free
1-877-855-3222
1-877-855-3222