Reservoir risk assessment methodology

A guide to reservoir risk classification and the factors that can affect the risk category of a reservoir.

From:
Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
22 February 2021
Category:
Whole life asset management
Topics:
Asset monitoring, Asset performance, Design and build, Deterioration, Reservoirs
Project status:
Completed
Project code:
FD2658
Date of completion:
31 March 2013

Documents

Small reservoirs simplified risk assessment methodology modelling - technical report (1.7MB) PDF

Small reservoirs simplified risk assessment methodology - guidance (2.4MB) PDF

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Details

The law that governs the safety of reservoirs in the UK is changing. This means that the legal responsibilities of reservoir owners will depend on whether their reservoir is classed as high risk. The overall aim of this research is to develop a methodology for determining what comprises a low risk reservoir.

In order to contribute to the design of a new reservoir, or assess the nature of an existing one, it’s necessary to understand what might happen if the reservoir fails. Making such an assessment requires an understanding of how the dam structure might fail and what the zone of influence from the failure might be in different topographic settings.

This project demonstrates the importance of commissioning a competent reservoir designer and contractor to ensure that the recommendations of the guidance are met. It highlights the need to plan and obtain all the necessary permissions from the various regulatory and planning authorities.

This guide explains the factors that can affect the risk category of a reservoir. It’s not a technical design manual for reservoirs but points readers to suitable references for the design of reservoirs. It also outlines the professional engineers involved in reservoir safety in the UK.

The guide also contains:

  • information on the law governing reservoir safety
  • a glossary of reservoir terminology
  • tips in the scoping of a new low risk reservoir
  • explanation of the method used for the initial risk designation of a reservoir
  • description of an alternative methodology for risk designation
  • guidance on more detailed types of available risk assessment

This project ran from 2012 to 2013. The cost of the project was £41,120.

Updates to this page

Published 22 February 2021
Contents