What is BDS?

The British Dam Society (BDS) is an Associated Society of the Institution of Civil Engineers. It consists of individual and corporate members. It is open to anyone wanting to share experience or knowledge of all aspects of dams and reservoirs.

BDS News

Next BDS Evening Event - The Challenges of Maintaining a Bateman Embankment Dam

Our next evening technical meeting will be held on Monday 29th June 2026 and will be presented by United Utilities, the recent winners of the 2025 British Geotechnical Association’s Fleming Award. Further details on the event and how to register to attend in person, online, or at one of our regional hubs will be available soon on both the BDS and ICE Events pages.

EURCOLD Newsletter No. 3 (2025)

Stay up to date with the latest news, technical developments, and collaborative initiatives in EURCOLD Newsletter No. 3 (2025), available via this link.

Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities – BDS Conference 2026

The 23rd Biennial Conference will be held at Keele University between the 9th and 12th of September. We will welcome up to 300 delegates, offering excellent opportunities for organisations to showcase their services and products.

Sponsorship packages are currently being developed, including options such as delegate bags, the formal dinner, Young Professionals’ event, and technical sessions. Exhibitors will benefit from dedicated space and a networking-focused Exhibitor’s Evening.

We would like those who are interested to get in touch so we will have a better understanding of demand and can make arrangements at the venue and in the programme. Follow this link for more information and details of how to register your interest.

Annual Meetings of the European Working Groups on Internal Erosion and Overflow and Overtopping Erosion

Deltares, Rijkswaterstaat, and TU Delft invite participants to the EWG-IE and EWG-OOE meetings in Delft, Netherlands, from 22 to 26 June 2026.

The meetings will focus on sharing the latest knowledge on internal erosion and overtopping of hydraulic structures and are aimed at professionals involved in dam design, safety, and research.

For more information refer to this flyer.

EURCOLD Dams and Reservoirs Day 2026

Dams and Reservoirs Day 2026 is an annual initiative established by EURCOLD (the European Club of the International Commission on Large Dams) and held each May.

The third celebration will be held on 24th May 2026, with active participation from EURCOLD member countries. The theme for this year is “Securing Water Resilience for Europe.”

For more information on this year’s initiative, please refer to this link. The BDS will be support events with a number of articles on reservoirs in the UK being released in the week running up to 24th May.

more news