Instrumentation & monitoring |
Rethinking dam monitoring
Entura’s Paul Southcott discusses how risk-based thinking, evolving technology and practical experience are reshaping dam instrumentation and long-term safety
Above: Anthony Dam is a concrete-faced rock-fill embankment dam across the Anthony River, in Tasmania, Australia
Right: Paul Southcott, Senior Principal – Dams and Headworks, Entura
AS DAM OWNERS AND OPERATORS around the world confront ageing assets, increasing scrutiny and the need for long-term resilience, the role of instrumentation and monitoring is under growing focus. No longer simply a matter of installing standard devices, modern dam safety practice is increasingly driven by risk – specifically, an understanding of how a dam might fail and what needs to be measured to detect those risks early. For Paul Southcott, Senior Principal – Dams and Headworks at Entura and convenor of a working group under the Australian National Committee on Large Dams developing updated guidance on dam instrumentation and monitoring systems, this shift has been central to his career. With nearly four decades of experience across Australia and the Indo-Pacific, he has worked at the forefront of changes in how engineers approach inspection, instrumentation and monitoring, combining hands- on field experience with strategic risk assessment. In this Q&A, Southcott reflects on the evolution of dam monitoring practices, the opportunities and limitations of new technologies, and why engineering judgement remains essential in turning data into meaningful insights for dam safety.
IWP&DC: Please give a background to your experience and expertise in the industry
Paul Southcott: I started working as an engineer 36 | May 2026 |
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in the late 1980s. From 1993 to 1999 I lectured in engineering at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales. I joined Hydro Tasmania Consulting, now Entura, in 2000. Over my 26 years with the business, I’ve worked on all aspects of dams projects across Tasmania, mainland Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, including in Malaysia, Indonesia and Nepal. I’m now Entura’s Senior Principal, Dams and Headworks, and a lead trainer for the Entura clean energy and water institute (ECEWI).
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