Ontario – Auditor General Report Drives Provincial Dam Investments
As detailed in the Spring 2023 edition of the CDA Bulletin, Ontario’s 2022 Auditor General (AGO) Report (Management of Hazards and Emergencies in the Environment) reviewed the status of the 316 dams owned by the Province.
The AGO noted that while a third of these dams would reach the end of their serviceable life within 20 years, assessment of replacement value and key data systems was incomplete and important information required to prioritize dam maintenance was missing.
The AGO recommended that Ontario complete the assessment of dams that would reach the end of their serviceable life within 20 years and that Ontario evaluate the failure potential and hazard classification of all its dams to better inform capital asset planning.
On December 18, 2024, Ontario announced that it would be investing $75M over the next four years to rehabilitate 10 dams owned by the Province. The investments will extend the life of each dam to meet provincial standards and extend the service life of each dam for up to 100 years.
In announcing the funding, the Province referenced the 2022 AGO Report as one of the drivers for this investment – underscoring the important role that auditor general reports about dam safety have played in many Canadian provinces.
Additional information is available at: Ontario Investing Over $75 Million to Extend Lifespan of Dams Across the Province | Ontario Newsroom