Public access to Chichester Dam is temporarily closed while construction work is underway to improve the performance and reliability of our water facilities. We expect to reopen the carpark next to the dam wall (middle section) and upper picnic area after 22 December 2023. The lower car park and picnic area will remain closed. We apologise for any inconvenience.
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.
As part of our commitment as a responsible dam owner, Hunter Water has recently completed a five-yearly risk assessment to inform our 15-yearly safety review for Chichester Dam. Click below to learn more about the assessment and its findings.
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.
Public access to the lower picnic area of Chichester Dam has been closed indefinitely however the upper picnic access areas of the dam remain open. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Facilities available at Chichester Dam include parking, toilets, covered picnic tables and wood-fired barbecues.
Please note: There is currently no supply of firewood for the Chichester Dam picnic areas. Visitors will need to supply their own firewood if planning to use the barbeques.
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 main gate is normally open:
Park entry and use of facilities is free. The dam's emergency response alarm is tested at 10 am on a daily basis.
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.