South Australia's plan to increase the capacity of the existing Mount Bold Reservoir at Clarendon may not be implemented in the near future, as the state is considering desalination as an alternative solution.
Currently, Mount Bold reservoir is the main water storage for the City of Adelaide. The proposed expansion of the project would see the main concrete gravity arch type dam wall increase in height from 50.6m to 85m, to impound up to 240 gigalitres of water. However, feasibility studies into the dam expansion, expected to cost about A$8M, are expected to be delayed until a ‘cheaper’ desalination plant study is completed.
Mount Bold Reservoir on the Onkaparinga river, constructed between 1932 and 1938, is the largest reservoir in South Australia. Power was originally generated at the site through a small hydro plant, but this was decommissioned in 1961. However, Mount Bold is now considered a possible site for a future commercial mini-hydro generator.