The Government has agreed to implement all of the recommendations made in the second stage of an independent evaluation by Professor David Balmforth, reforming the regulatory framework and modernising the Reservoirs Act 1975, in order to increase reservoir safety.
The reforms will help to ensure that the regulatory regime remains effective and robust in securing the ongoing safety of such critical infrastructure, recognising that reservoirs in England have a strong safety track record.
This will protect those who live downstream of reservoirs from flooding that could endanger their lives and property.
As a result of the incident at Toddbrook Reservoir in 2019, there have already been steps taken to increase reservoir safety, including the government’s full implementation of the first section of the independent review’s recommendations.
Minister of the environment Steve Double said:
Always put the security of individuals who live and work around reservoirs first.
We will contribute to the protection of communities and boost their sense of security by modernising and updating regulatory and legislative frameworks.
We now have a thorough understanding of the reservoir safety regime’s advantages and disadvantages as well as the steps that must be taken to ensure that it is fit for the future and that safety standards are consistently applied to all of our reservoirs.
This is thanks to Professor Balmforth’s review.
Environment Agency Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management Caroline Douglass stated:
Despite the fact that England has a solid reputation for reservoir safety, we are constantly searching for ways to improve our methods, particularly in light of the changing environment.
We are eager to collaborate with Defra, reservoir owners, and engineers to put these reforms into action and make sure that reservoirs are governed using a cutting-edge risk-based strategy.
Over the next few years, the regulatory programme will be revised in conjunction with reservoir owners and engineers, following a schedule that will allow the industry to handle the changes while continuing to monitor reservoir safety.
Through the use of currently available authority, direction, and training in 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, improvements will be implemented to:
Civil sanctions will be used to increase enforcement choices and flexibility.
The Environment Agency will also start reviewing engineers’ reports, come up with recommendations for a proportionate billing system, and roll out a free registration programme for owners of small raised reservoirs in 2022–2023.
A consultation on the modernization of the Reservoirs Act will examine the following in 2023–2024:
creating a new risk/hazard categorization and how it might work, coming up with ideas to make the reservoir engineers’ future supply more sustainable, and coming up with ideas to regulate tiny raised reservoirs under the new safety regime for consultation.
The reforms will build on initiatives already underway to enhance reservoir safety in the wake of the Toddbrook Reservoir incident in 2019.
These initiatives include a Ministerial Direction mandating that all large raised reservoirs have emergency flood plans on site, new guidance on spillway inspection and management, new guidance for reservoir engineers on conducting inspections and supervision, and research to increase the supply of engineers in the future.