ABSTRACT
This paper provides a return of experience from the perspective of the Dam Section of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, SFOE, on a range of challenging safety and surveillance issues that the Swiss dam industry is facing today. These include the implementation of new regulations, pumped storage schemes, flood verifications, dam ageing, climate change, the prioritization of safety measures, reservoir slope stability, sedimentation, hydraulic discharge structures, bi-national safety and surveillance requirements, the impact of solar photovoltaic panels on dam safety, surveillance and other subjects. In accordance with Art. 29 of the WRFO (Water Retaining Facilities Ordinance, Status on the 1st January 2023) the main objectives of the paper are to ensure the exchange of information at an international level, secure expertise, promote research and to outline some of the tasks undertaken by the Swiss authorities, putting the emphasis on challenging problems. The conclusions allow dam owners and operators to perhaps reassess their dam surveillance and safety concepts and take appropriate measures in a timely manner.
