Summary

A Dewatering Management Plan (DMP) outlines how groundwater will be safely and compliantly removed, treated, discharged, or reused during construction or remediation activities. It ensures site dewatering is managed to protect surrounding environments, infrastructure, and regulatory obligations.

Definition

A Dewatering Management Plan (DMP) is a site-specific document that sets out the methods, controls, monitoring, and compliance requirements for managing groundwater extraction during construction, excavation, or land remediation works. It addresses technical, environmental, and regulatory considerations to ensure dewatering is conducted safely and within approval conditions.

Why It Matters

Groundwater management is a critical component of excavation, basement construction, tunnelling, and contaminated land remediation. Uncontrolled dewatering can cause environmental harm, structural damage, regulatory breaches, and costly delays.

A DMP provides clarity and confidence for regulators, contractors, and clients by outlining:

groundwater conditions and hydrogeological risks

proposed dewatering methodology and staging

water treatment and discharge pathways

monitoring and reporting requirements

contingency actions for adverse or unexpected conditions

DMPs also support compliance with state and territory legislation, including:

Environment Protection Act 2017 (VIC)

Environmental Protection Act 1994 (QLD)

Water Management Act 2000 (NSW)

associated regulations, discharge licences, and water authority approvals

Properly designed dewatering strategies protect receiving waters, prevent soil instability, manage settlement risk, and avoid cross-contamination between aquifers.

When It’s Required

A Dewatering Management Plan is typically required when construction or remediation works intersect with groundwater or require its removal for safe or effective project delivery. Common triggers include:

Deep Excavations and Basement Construction

Projects involving foundations, underground car parks, or lift pits often require groundwater control.

Contaminated Land Remediation

Sites with impacted soil or groundwater may require controlled dewatering to enable excavation, treatment, or validation activities. In these cases, water quality monitoring and treatment specifications become central to the DMP.

Infrastructure and Civil Works

Road, rail, pipeline, and utilities projects often encounter shallow groundwater or perched aquifers that must be managed to maintain safe working conditions.

Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems or Sensitive Receptors

Where groundwater drawdown could affect nearby vegetation, wetlands, waterways, or adjoining properties, a more detailed DMP—and associated hydrogeological assessment—is often required.

Regulatory or Licence Conditions

Many jurisdictions require a DMP as part of:

environmental approvals

construction environmental management plans (CEMPs)

discharge licences

groundwater extraction permits

development consent conditions

How We Can Help

Nova Group Pacific provides end-to-end groundwater and dewatering expertise, supporting compliant, technically robust DMPs for construction and remediation projects.

Our multidisciplinary team delivers: