Dam safety compliance

Pennsylvania dam safety requirements

DEP dam safety program (25 Pa. Code Chapter 105) — what a private owner actually has to do, and when.

Frequently asked questions

When is a Pennsylvania dam owner's annual report due?

31 December every year, for every owner subject to 25 Pa. Code Chapter 105 — a fixed statewide date, not a per-dam anniversary. Look up your dam to confirm its classification and current status.

Does a Pennsylvania dam report have to be sealed by an engineer?

Yes. Pennsylvania's annual report must be prepared and sealed by a licensed professional engineer — a stricter requirement than Georgia's or North Carolina's owner-filed reports, worth budgeting for well before the December deadline, not the week of it.

How often must a Pennsylvania dam owner inspect their own dam?

Quarterly self-inspection is expected, with a separate annual inspection performed by the dam's professional engineer of record. Dam-Smart's inspection tool captures this with GPS-tagged checkpoints from your phone — crest, both slopes, spillway, toe, outlet, seepage — building a dated record between the engineer's visits.

How to self-inspect a small dam

Dam-Smart's inspection tool walks through six checkpoints, the same order a formal engineer inspection follows:

  1. Crest — walk the full length of the crest, checking for cracking, settlement, or unusual vegetation.
  2. Upstream slope — check the upstream slope for erosion, slumping, or animal burrows.
  3. Downstream slope — check the downstream slope for seepage, wet areas, or sinkholes.
  4. Spillway — confirm the spillway is clear of debris and vegetation and free to pass flow.
  5. Outlet works / drains — check outlet works and drains for blockage, damage, or unusual flow.
  6. Instrumentation — read and record any installed instrumentation, such as piezometers or staff gauges, where present.

Sourced from 25 Pa. Code Chapter 105 (dam safety) — specifically §105.53's annual reporting requirement. See Pennsylvania DEP Dam Safety Program for the primary source. This page is informational, not legal advice — verify current requirements with DEP directly.

Compare filing deadlines in all eight states

Requirements for other states: Connecticut · Georgia · Massachusetts · North Carolina · New York · Ohio · Wisconsin