Nepean Dam, Concrete-face rock-fill dam in New South Wales, Australia
Nepean Dam is a concrete-face rock-fill dam in New South Wales that rises 82 meters high and stretches 216 meters wide. The structure combines large sandstone blocks embedded within concrete in a stable and efficient design.
Construction began in 1926 under engineer Ernest Macartney de Burgh and finished in 1935 as part of the Upper Nepean water supply scheme. The project was central to a major regional infrastructure effort to secure water resources for growing populations.
The area around the dam preserves residential cottages that reveal how people lived here across different eras and how the infrastructure evolved over time. These buildings reflect the changing needs of the communities that managed this water system.
The dam collects water from a large catchment area and supplies drinking water to Sydney, Macarthur, and Illawarra regions. Visitors can explore the site and see the engineering work up close.
The dam system expanded in the 1960s with connecting tunnels that allowed more efficient water distribution across the network. These underground structures represent early innovations in regional water engineering.
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