The British Dam Society

Forthcoming BDS Events

Service Reservoirs (Thames Water)

The next technical meeting, which is entitled “The Service Reservoir – More than just a concrete box” will be presented by Jon Green and Bryn Philpott of Thames Water on the 8th of July 2024. The meeting will take place online, and at our various hubs across the country, more information can be found on the Events page. Please note that One Great George Street is currently closed for refurbishment so there will not be any in-person meeting.  

BDS Conference 2024 - NOW OPEN

The next biennial conference will be held at Keele University from Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th September 2024. Registration for the event is now open. Information on the conference and how to register as a delegate, exhibitor and/or sponsor can be found here.

BDS Photo Competition 2024

The 2024 BDS Photo competition is open! More details can be found under the following link. Winners will be announced at the BDS Conference in September.   

Site Visits

The BDS site visit to Toddbrook has been cancelled and a new date will be confirmed in the future.  

BDS Young Professionals

CPD Events 

The dates of up-and-coming YP CPD events can now be found on the BDS website here. The next event will be on the 25th July 2024. 

ICOLD 2026 Annual Meeting – Change in host County

Given the current tense international situation, the 2026 annual meeting in Iran has been postponed. A lot of delegates will be unable to travel to Iran and several embassies are not allowing their nationals to travel to Iran or are advising against it.  

In this context, the Mexican Committee has graciously agreed to bring forward to 2026 the Annual Meeting originally scheduled for 2027. 

ICOLD Innovation Awards 2025

The International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) confers the International ICOLD Innovation Awards for innovative scientific and technical contributions, in the field of dams and reservoirs with special focus on their role in sustainable water resources management under consideration of environmental constraints. More information and details on how to apply can be found here. 

Dam Day – Reservoirs for Europe

The ICOLD European Club (EurCOLD) has announced that the inaugural European Dam Day will be held on 29th May 2024. The aims of the day include raising public awareness about dams, promoting careers in the industry to students and young professionals, and encouraging networking between those in the profession. Events organised by national committees will be held across Europe. The BDS will be supporting the event with a social media campaign over that week. We encourage the membership to engage with the posts and spread the information across their networks.

30th European Working Group (EWG) on Internal Erosion & 5th EWG on Overflow and Overtopping Erosion

The next EWG on Internal Erosion and Overflow and Overtopping Erosion will be held in Bologna, Italy between the 9th and 13th September 2024. Unfortunately, the date of these meetings clashes with the next BDS conference. However, should you wish to attend warmer climes both meetings will be organized by the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna. The deadline for abstracts is 30th June 2024. More information is available here.

7th European Working Group (EWG) on Dams and Earthquakes

The 7th meeting of the European working group shall be in Athens between the 12th and 13th September 2024. For more information, please refer to the following link.