Serpentine Dam
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The dams are open to visitors until 5pm every day of the week.
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| Current Storage at Serpentine Pipehead Dam | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Situated amid beautiful scenery in the Darling Scarp, the two dams on the Serpentine River are an important link back to Perth´s industry boom of the late 50s and 60s. You can appreciate both the history and the natural beauty in a day out at Serpentine.
In the late 1950s, Perth was on the brink of the rapid industrial growth which changed it in a matter of years into a bustling modern city.
The Kwinana industrial area south of the city was then in its infancy but growing at such a rate that new water sources were urgently needed. Planners saw the potential of the Serpentine River as a major water supply source - and so began the Serpentine Scheme.
The project aimed to increase storage capacity in the Hills by 170 per cent. This scale made it the biggest construction project undertaken by the then Water Authority since 1940 when Canning Dam had been completed.
The first stage was a Pipehead Dam, seven kilometres upstream from the Serpentine Falls.
The official opening of the Pipehead Dam in 1957 also marked the beginning of work on the Serpentine Main Dam which was finished in 1961.
The main dam´s capacity of 137.7 million cubic metres makes it one of the biggest supplying the Perth metropolitan area. Water from the Serpentine Scheme is piped under gravity to the city from the Pipehead Dam (hence its name) through two 55km long pipelines.
How to get there
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From Perth city centre, take Kwinana Freeway or Tonkin or Albany Highway to Armadale. Then follow the South Western Highway for 18 km to Jarrahdale Road. Turn left, continue on another 5km and drive through Jarrahdale and turn right into Kingsbury Drive. Turn right after about 3km into Day Road for the Pipehead Dam, or continue along Kingsbury Drive to the Main Dam. (See maps)
The dams are open to visitors until 5pm every day of the week.
The Serpentine Falls
The scenic Serpentine Falls are also well worth a visit. Enjoy a picnic lunch against the spectacular backdrop of this waterfall on the Serpentine River.
To reach the Falls from Perth, you´ll need to drive approximately another 7km past the turnoff to Jarrahdale along South Western Highway. Then follow the signposts along Falls Road.
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Downloads
Serpentine Dam
Download the Serpentine Dam brochure and Sitemap
Your Safety & the Security of our Water Services
For your own safety when visiting our sites please ensure that you confine your movements to the signed and formed pathways, roads and recreational areas. Please recognise that there are uneven surfaces and walking hazards which may exist in the area due to the nature of its design and construction, and exercise caution at all times when moving about the area.
Please do:
- Follow and comply with all directional and informational signs.
- Always monitor the whereabouts of children as they explore the site.
- Report all safety hazards to the onsite Ranger, Staff or 13 13 75 (all hours)
- Report all unsafe, criminal or suspicious behaviour to the Ranger, Staff or 13 13 75 (all hours)
Please do not:
- Climb walls, fences or bridges.
- Climb on pipework or other operational infrastructure.
- Deface safety and security signs.
- Trespass into signposted operational and "No Entry" areas.
- Attempt to operate operational taps, valves or controls.
- Block emergency and operational access gates and roadways with vehicles.