Constructed between 1915 and 1926, Chichester Dam was the first dedicated drinking water storage system to the Lower Hunter, and to this day is considered one of the most pristine catchments in Australia.
Located at the top of the Williams River catchment, it contributes around 35 per cent of the Lower Hunter’s potable water supply.
| Chichester Dam | |
|---|---|
| Catchment area | 199km2 |
| Dam volume | 18,356ML (1ML = 1 million litres) |
| Maximum depth | 37 metres |
| Surface area | 180 hectares |
| Annual rainfall | 1300mm (Upper Chichester) |
| Areas supplied | Lower Hunter, approx 35% of volume |
| Land use breakdown of catchment | 76% National Park, 17% rural, 7% Hunter Water freehold |
Our water levels drop faster than most other major Australian urban centres during hot, dry periods because we have shallow water storages and high evaporation rates.
Chichester Dam is located 80 kilometres north of Newcastle at the south-eastern corner of the World Heritage listed Barrington Tops National Park.
Water from Chichester Dam receives some treatment onsite and is then transported via a gravity pipe to Dungog, where it is further treated at the Dungog Water Treatment Plant. Approximately half of the flow from Chichester is supplied to Maitland, Cessnock and Beresfield areas. The balance gravitates further to Newcastle, where it blends with water from the Grahamstown Water Treatment Plant. Because water is fed by gravity from Chichester, it requires the lowest energy input of all sources. Water supply from Chichester Dam is used as much as possible for this reason.
The dam is fed by the Wangat River to the north and Chichester River to the north-west.
There is high run-off from the area due to the abundant rainfall and the large catchment area. Hence, the dam is filled quickly following medium to heavy rainfall.
To protect drinking water quality, public access is not permitted onto Chichester Dam or its catchment, but there are three picnic areas within the site that are open to the community.
Facilities available at Chichester Dam include parking, toilets, covered picnic tables and wood-fired barbecues (wood is supplied by Hunter Water). Private bookings of the Chichester park facilities are not available. All roads within the site are sealed and accessible by coaches. Water supplied on site is untreated and not suitable for drinking.
The Chichester Dam picnic areas will reopen to the public on Monday 27 September 2021.
As the dam is a drinking water supply source for the Hunter Region, there are restrictions in place for visitors, including:
The penalties for non-compliance and further information can be found on the Public access to dams and catchments page.
For further information on the park, please contact our team.
