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The Environment Agency will be given extended powers as part of a series of reservoir safety measures sparked by the Toddbrook incident last summer.
The government accepted a number of safety considerations including bolstering the inspection regime to prevent similar events occurring again; extending the Environment Agency’s remit as regulator to enforce any outstanding statutory maintenance; and improving reservoir owners’ and engineers’ understanding of structural failure of spillways.
The independent review of the Whaley Bridge incident on 1 August 2019 concluded a combination of poor design and intermittent maintenance led to the partial collapse of the reservoir’s spillway following heavy rainfall.
The report said that although such issues are rare, the recommendations will further develop England’s reservoir safety regime.
James Bevan, chief executive of the EA, called any incident “one too many” and welcomed the report. He said the EA would act quickly to implement the recommendations while working closely with reservoir owners to ensure reservoirs are maintained and monitored in line with safety standards.
Professor David Balmforth, who led the report, said: “Important lessons have been learnt and I have made a number of recommendations that will help to improve the way in which we ensure the safety of our reservoirs in the future.”
The report recommends a second part of the review to examine how the Reservoirs Act and regulations are implemented and make any necessary recommendations to further ensure reservoir safety.
Environment secretary George Eustice said the lessons learnt from Toddbrook can be used by the whole reservoir industry.
“I hope it also reassures the public that we remain committed to ensuring the safety of reservoirs across the country,” Eustice said. “There is nothing more important than the safety of our communities, and I expect the Environment Agency and reservoir owners to immediately take action on these recommendations in order to ensure the continued safety those living and working near reservoirs.”
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