Dam Construction & Dam Services in Perth & Regional WA
If your property is losing runoff you can’t capture, a well-built farm dam changes that. For those who need reliable water storage for livestock, irrigation, or rainwater harvesting, ProWest Contracting has extensive experience delivering farm dam construction built to hold water from day one.
Our Dam Construction Services
We manage the full scope, from planning through to a functional, compliant dam.
Good dam construction isn’t just about moving earth. It’s about understanding your catchment area, your soil profile, your water supply needs, and building a structure that performs for decades without costly rectification. Understanding soil quality, natural water flow, and the surrounding landscape is also a crucial part of determining the right construction approach.
Our operators run modern, GPS-guided machinery, including 30-tonne excavators, D6 and D8 dozers, padfoot and smooth-drum rollers, and water carts. Experienced dam builders who know WA ground conditions mean we size your dam correctly, compact the embankment to standard, and get it right the first time.
What's included
We prepare the dam footprint by clearing vegetation, removing unsuitable material, and stripping topsoil before excavation begins. Proper site preparation provides a suitable foundation for the dam and helps reduce potential construction issues. Our team also considers the surrounding landscape and site conditions to minimise unnecessary disturbance during construction.
Our excavation works establish the dam basin to the required levels, dimensions, and capacity. Where suitable, we can reuse excavated material to construct the dam embankment, helping make efficient use of available site resources. This can include suitable clay, gravel, and other materials identified during excavation, depending on the site’s soil conditions.
We construct dam embankments using suitable earth materials placed in controlled layers. Each layer is shaped and compacted to create a stable structure capable of retaining water. The construction methods used will depend on the soil quality, dam size, and required water-holding capacity.
Compaction is a crucial part of dam construction. Suitable material is moisture-conditioned and compacted to help achieve a dense, stable embankment, and minimise the potential for structural failure. Proper compaction also helps reduce seepage and unwanted water loss through the dam wall.
We undertake the earthworks required for spillways and overflow areas, providing a controlled path for excess water. Correctly constructed overflow areas help protect the embankment and surrounding ground from erosion. Managing water flow is particularly important during periods of heavy weather, helping direct excess water away from areas vulnerable to erosion.
We can undertake erosion and sediment control earthworks to manage water movement across the construction site and minimise sediment entering waterways or the completed dam. These erosion control measures can help protect the dam, surrounding landscape and water quality from runoff and sediment movement.
For existing dams, we can undertake excavation and earthworks to remove accumulated silt, restore capacity, and reshape areas affected by erosion. Desilting can increase storage volume and extend the life of an existing dam. This is especially useful where an existing dam has become filled with sediment over time and lost some of its water-holding capacity.
We can construct or improve access to the dam and complete associated earthworks around the site. This can include tracks, batters, drainage, and final grading to integrate the completed dam with the surrounding property. Practical access is important for future inspections, maintenance, and machinery access, especially after periods of heavy weather.
Once construction is complete, we finish the required trimming, grading, and shaping around the dam. Where appropriate, disturbed areas can be prepared for revegetation and stabilisation. This helps return the surrounding landscape to a stable condition and reduce the potential for erosion to occur.
Safety, Compliance, and Planning in WA
Dam construction in WA sits within a genuine regulatory framework. Under the Rights in Water and Irrigation Act 1914, a licence is required if your dam intercepts a proclaimed surface watercourse or if the wall exceeds certain thresholds. Unlicensed dams on proclaimed waterways can attract significant fines under WA’s current penalty regime.
Beyond licensing, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation’s Water Quality Protection Note 53 sets out practical design requirements for rural dams, including batter gradients, spillway sizing for flood events, and downstream erosion management. These are the standards that determine whether a dam performs safely over its full life.
We take the compliance side seriously on every project. If a permit is needed, we’ll help you work through the process. If your project involves vegetation clearing for embankment construction, we’ll flag where additional environmental permits may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your location and the size of the structure. A licence is generally required if your dam intercepts a proclaimed surface watercourse or if the wall height or storage volume exceeds certain thresholds. We can help you determine what applies to your project.
Yes. We carry out dam repairs including seepage investigation, embankment repair, and spillway reconstruction. The right approach depends on what’s caused the problem, which is why we always start with an assessment.
Costs depend on the dam size, soil conditions, liner requirements, spillway design, and your location. Every site is different, so the best way to get an accurate figure is to have us out to assess it. Get in touch, and we’ll provide a detailed quote.
Hear From Our Clients
Other Residential Services
Bulk Earthworks
Cut and fill, bulk excavation and site levelling for residential, commercial and industrial developments across the Perth metro region.
Civil Construction
Road construction, stormwater and sewer drainage, retaining and civil infrastructure for subdivisions and commercial developments.
Siteworks
Site clearing, site cut, sand pad construction, compaction and pre pour preparation for builders and developers.
Subdivision Works
Complete civil packages for land developers, from raw land through to lots ready for clearance and titles.
Let’s Start a Project
If you’re planning a new farm dam, need an existing dam desilted or repaired, or want straightforward advice on what’s possible on your property, we’re ready to talk. We offer on-site assessments for projects within 100 kilometres of Perth and work across regional WA for larger engagements. Call us on 0413 828 948 or email quotes@prowestcontracting.com.au to get a quote.