Damwatch Engineering Ltd, with sub-consultant MTL NZ Ltd, are pleased to announce that we have recently been selected as finalists to receive an ACE award recognising excellence in the delivery of consulting services to Waimea Water Ltd for the Waimea Community Dam project.
The ACE Awards Gala is on 23 October 2025.
Damwatch Engineering Ltd, with sub-consultant MTL NZ Ltd, are pleased to announce that we have recently been selected as finalists to receive an ACE award recognising excellence in the delivery of consulting services to Waimea Water Ltd for the Waimea Community Dam project.
The ACE Awards Gala is on 23 October 2025.
The Waimea Community Dam has been in operation for one year now. The 53m high concrete faced rockfill (CFRD) dam, designed by Damwatch, was completed in 2024 and has operated successfully for one year now. Damwatch continues its involvement with Waimea Community Dam as the Dam Safety Advisor to Waimea Water Ltd.
The Waimea Community Dam has been in operation for one year now. The 53m high concrete faced rockfill (CFRD) dam, designed by Damwatch, was completed in 2024 and has operated successfully for one year now. Damwatch continues its involvement with Waimea Community Dam as the Dam Safety Advisor to Waimea Water Ltd.
Damwatch is pleased to be appointed the designer of flood protection improvement works for the Hutt River adjacent to Lower Hutt City. The flood protection improvements are being undertaken for Greater Wellington Regional Council. Damwatch's role includes improving the hydraulic capacity of the river in floods and the geotechnical engineering of stopbank/levee improvements. The complex site is adjacent to the busy Hutt City centre and will be the site of the major State Highway 2 interchange and new Melling Bridge crossing.
Rock protection of sections of stopbank/levee is already being installed with major stopbank/levee construction in 2026.
Damwatch is pleased to be appointed the designer of flood protection improvement works for the Hutt River adjacent to Lower Hutt City. The flood protection improvements are being undertaken for Greater Wellington Regional Council. Damwatch's role includes improving the hydraulic capacity of the river in floods and the geotechnical engineering of stopbank/levee improvements. The complex site is adjacent to the busy Hutt City centre and will be the site of the major State Highway 2 interchange and new Melling Bridge crossing.
Rock protection of sections of stopbank/levee is already being installed with major stopbank/levee construction in 2026.
Damwatch assisted the World Bank to develop national Dam Safety Guidelines for the Ministry of Water and Energy of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia. These Guidelines were developed from workshops and consultation with Ethiopian dam experts and benchmarked with international best practice. The Dam Safety Guidelines were completed in 2025 and are now being rolled out across Ethiopia.
Damwatch also developed training modules for users of the Dam Safety Guidelines and are pleased that engineers in Ethiopia are now able to receive training in use of Dam Safety Guidelines from these modules.
Damwatch assisted the World Bank to develop national Dam Safety Guidelines for the Ministry of Water and Energy of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia. These Guidelines were developed from workshops and consultation with Ethiopian dam experts and benchmarked with international best practice. The Dam Safety Guidelines were completed in 2025 and are now being rolled out across Ethiopia.
Damwatch also developed training modules for users of the Dam Safety Guidelines and are pleased that engineers in Ethiopia are now able to receive training in use of Dam Safety Guidelines from these modules.
The Waimea Community Dam spillway was commissioned on 12 April 2024 after safely passing a flood flow greater than 50 m3/s. This marked a major milestone in the dam's construction, the largest water dam constructed in New Zealand for 25 years.
In the fifteen months since then, the spillway has safely passed several floods with the largest flood peaking at 280 m3/s on 26 October 2024. Most recently, the spillway passed a flood peak of 240 m3/s on 27 June 2025. During these floods, the spillway has performed as designed, with flows being launched out of the spillway and into the air to dissipate its energy before landing in the river downstream (images from 26 October 2024).
Waimea dam has already benefitted the Nelson Tasman community by providing much needed aquifer regeneration during the 2024 dry season and will continue to do so for many years to come.
The Waimea Community Dam spillway was commissioned on 12 April 2024 after safely passing a flood flow greater than 50 m3/s. This marked a major milestone in the dam's construction, the largest water dam constructed in New Zealand for 25 years.
In the fifteen months since then, the spillway has safely passed several floods with the largest flood peaking at 280 m3/s on 26 October 2024. Most recently, the spillway passed a flood peak of 240 m3/s on 27 June 2025. During these floods, the spillway has performed as designed, with flows being launched out of the spillway and into the air to dissipate its energy before landing in the river downstream (images from 26 October 2024).
Waimea dam has already benefitted the Nelson Tasman community by providing much needed aquifer regeneration during the 2024 dry season and will continue to do so for many years to come.
Damwatch Engineering was pleased to have Mojtaba participate in the prestigious ICOLD International Benchmark Workshop on Numerical Analysis of Dams.
Since 1990, the Technical Committee A "Computational Aspects of Analysis and Design of Dams", established within the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), has organized International Benchmark Workshops (BWs) on Numerical Analysis of Dams. The 17th ICOLD BW was held 9-12 April 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The BWs aim to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience on numerical modelling in the areas of dam safety, planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
The aim of the 2025 ICOLD BW Theme A was to continue and improve upon the work carried out in previous BWs focused on seismic analyses. The case study proposed for the 17th BW in Sofia was the seismic analysis of Tsankov Kamak Dam, a concrete double curvature arch dam. To accurately define the response of concrete arch dams to earthquakes complex analyses, able to consider the three-dimensionality of the problem, the semi-unbounded size of the foundation, the non-linear behaviour of the system and the dynamic interactions of the dam with the foundation and the reservoir could be required.
Damwatch Engineering was pleased to have Mojtaba participate in the prestigious ICOLD International Benchmark Workshop on Numerical Analysis of Dams.
Since 1990, the Technical Committee A "Computational Aspects of Analysis and Design of Dams", established within the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), has organized International Benchmark Workshops (BWs) on Numerical Analysis of Dams. The 17th ICOLD BW was held 9-12 April 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The BWs aim to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience on numerical modelling in the areas of dam safety, planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
The aim of the 2025 ICOLD BW Theme A was to continue and improve upon the work carried out in previous BWs focused on seismic analyses. The case study proposed for the 17th BW in Sofia was the seismic analysis of Tsankov Kamak Dam, a concrete double curvature arch dam. To accurately define the response of concrete arch dams to earthquakes complex analyses, able to consider the three-dimensionality of the problem, the semi-unbounded size of the foundation, the non-linear behaviour of the system and the dynamic interactions of the dam with the foundation and the reservoir could be required.
DAMWATCH ENGINEERING is pleased to support Irrigation NZ in promoting the forthcoming Building (Dam Safety) Regulations and what that means for farmers and landowners in meeting the regulatory requirements and deadlines set out in the Regulations.
From 13 May 2024, the owners of dams that meet the height and volume requirements will need to confirm the potential risk their dam poses, put in place safety plans and undertake regular dam inspections.
DAMWATCH ENGINEERING is a team of dam engineering and dam safety specialists with a track record in successful evaluation, design and development of solutions for dams and water storage projects in New Zealand.
DAMWATCH ENGINEERING is well placed to assist you in negotiating the new Regulations by:
DAMWATCH ENGINEERING is pleased to support Irrigation NZ in promoting the forthcoming Building (Dam Safety) Regulations and what that means for farmers and landowners in meeting the regulatory requirements and deadlines set out in the Regulations.
From 13 May 2024, the owners of dams that meet the height and volume requirements will need to confirm the potential risk their dam poses, put in place safety plans and undertake regular dam inspections.
DAMWATCH ENGINEERING is a team of dam engineering and dam safety specialists with a track record in successful evaluation, design and development of solutions for dams and water storage projects in New Zealand.
DAMWATCH ENGINEERING is well placed to assist you in negotiating the new Regulations by:
Congratulations to Peter Amos, Managing Director and Principal Engineer DAMWATCH ENGINEERING, for receiving a commemorative medal from the Government of Viet Nam for:
"Invaluable contributions to the Cause of Agriculture and Rural Development of the S. R. of Viet Nam".
Peter received the award at Thuyloi University on Friday 15th November at a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the university. It is a great achievement and recognition of Peter's involvement in the Viet Nam New Zealand Dam Safety project since its inception in 2012.
The award is only presented every 5 years and it has never been given to a private citizen from NZ before now.
For more information on the Viet Nam New Zealand Dam Safety project visit the:
Congratulations to Peter Amos, Managing Director and Principal Engineer DAMWATCH ENGINEERING, for receiving a commemorative medal from the Government of Viet Nam for:
"Invaluable contributions to the Cause of Agriculture and Rural Development of the S. R. of Viet Nam".
Peter received the award at Thuyloi University on Friday 15th November at a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the university. It is a great achievement and recognition of Peter's involvement in the Viet Nam New Zealand Dam Safety project since its inception in 2012.
The award is only presented every 5 years and it has never been given to a private citizen from NZ before now.
For more information on the Viet Nam New Zealand Dam Safety project visit the:
