Independent report

Reservoir review: part B (2020)

Independent review of reservoir safety and legislation. This follows on from the Toddbrook reservoir incident review carried out in 2019.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 9 June 2020
• Last updated: 20 July 2022 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Independent reservoir safety review report

PDF, 1.65 MB, 122 pages

Terms of reference for reservoir review - part B

HTML

Details

An independent review of reservoir safety legislation and its application was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in 2020. The review was led by Professor David Balmforth.

This review report, published in May 2021, provides a comprehensive assessment of the reservoir safety regime in England. It makes recommendations for improving the safety regime and strengthening the roles and responsibilities of the regulator, reservoir owners and engineers.

The government has accepted Professor Balmforth’s recommendations. It will carry out reform of the reservoir safety regime and modernisation of the Reservoirs Act 1975. Defra and the Environment Agency will begin a programme of work in summer 2022, with a view to consultation in 2025.

Read the report from the Toddbrook reservoir incident independent review (Part A).

Published 9 June 2020
Last updated 20 July 2022 + show all updates

1. 20 July 2022

   Updated Details section to confirm that the Government has accepted the recommendations of the independent review of reservoir safety and legislation.

2. 13 May 2021

   Added the review report.

3. 9 June 2020

   First published.