Serpentine Pipehead Dam

Serpentine Pipehead Dam
The dam wall in 2014
Serpentine Pipehead Dam
Location of the dam
in Western Australia
Interactive map of Serpentine Pipehead Dam
CountryAustralia
LocationJarrahdale, Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Coordinates32°22′26″S 116°03′31″E / 32.37389°S 116.05861°E / -32.37389; 116.05861
PurposeWater supply
StatusOperational
Construction began1950
Opening date1957
Built byMetropolitan Water Authority, Perth
OperatorWater Corporation
Dam and spillways
Type of damGravity and embankment dam
ImpoundsSerpentine River
Height (foundation)16 m (52 ft)
Length148 m (486 ft)
Dam volume15×10^3 m3 (530×10^3 cu ft)
Spillway capacity685 m3/s (24,200 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity3,140 ML (2,550 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area692 km2 (267 sq mi)
Surface area28 ha (69 acres)
Normal elevation166 m (545 ft) AHD

The Serpentine Pipehead Dam is an earth-filled embankment and concrete gravity dam across the Serpentine River, in Western Australia. Established in 1957, the dam is connected with the Serpentine Dam and together they supplement the supply of potable water for Water Corporation to provide to greater metropolitan Perth.

Overview

The dam is 16 metres (52 ft) high and 148 metres (486 ft) long. The resultant 3,140-megalitre (2,550 acre⋅ft) reservoir draws from a 692 km2 (267 sq mi) catchment area.[1]

The dam is also used to store water from the Dandalup scheme whereby water can be pumped or gravity transferred back into the Serpentine Pipehead Dam. The dam site also contains a water treatment plant and picnic area. The pipehead dam is 7 km (4.3 mi) upstream from Serpentine Falls and was constructed using 5,000 cubic metres (180,000 cu ft) of concrete and 10,000 cubic metres (350,000 cu ft) of earth.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Register of Large Dams Australia-2015" (Excel. Requires download. Row 449). ANCOLD. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
  2. ^ "Serpentine Dam facilities brochure" (PDF). Water Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2012.

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