Reservoir Safety Reform Programme

The UK and Welsh Governments launched the Reservoir Safety Reform Programme to modernise and strengthen reservoir regulation across England and Wales. This was based on recommendations from the Independent Reservoir Safety Review Report following the Toddbrook reservoir incident in 2019. Although Toddbrook met legal standards, it was not safe.

The programme is being delivered in phases over several years by the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales (NRW). It will introduce a more proportionate and flexible regime of reservoir safety, using updated guidance and new legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Reservoir safety ensures the physical structure of a reservoir - its dams and embankments - are safe. Incidents like Toddbrook, rising water demand and climate change - highlight the need to reassess reservoir safety regulations - especially with around 2.6 million people in England at risk from potential dam failures and life-threatening floods.

Get Involved

Please register with Engagement HQ to interact with the tools we’ll be hosting here.

You can also subscribe to follow the project and to be added to our mailing list for important updates.

On the right-hand side of this page we have the following:

  • Important Consultation Information - to help you take part in the consultation when it goes live and to support your understanding of the proposed reservoir safety reform changes. We will post the consultation date and link on this page as soon as they are confirmed.
  • Useful Information - to help you stay informed on key information on reservoir safety and reform, current legislation and reform initiatives.

The UK and Welsh Governments launched the Reservoir Safety Reform Programme to modernise and strengthen reservoir regulation across England and Wales. This was based on recommendations from the Independent Reservoir Safety Review Report following the Toddbrook reservoir incident in 2019. Although Toddbrook met legal standards, it was not safe.

The programme is being delivered in phases over several years by the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales (NRW). It will introduce a more proportionate and flexible regime of reservoir safety, using updated guidance and new legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Reservoir safety ensures the physical structure of a reservoir - its dams and embankments - are safe. Incidents like Toddbrook, rising water demand and climate change - highlight the need to reassess reservoir safety regulations - especially with around 2.6 million people in England at risk from potential dam failures and life-threatening floods.

Get Involved

Please register with Engagement HQ to interact with the tools we’ll be hosting here.

You can also subscribe to follow the project and to be added to our mailing list for important updates.

On the right-hand side of this page we have the following:

  • Important Consultation Information - to help you take part in the consultation when it goes live and to support your understanding of the proposed reservoir safety reform changes. We will post the consultation date and link on this page as soon as they are confirmed.
  • Useful Information - to help you stay informed on key information on reservoir safety and reform, current legislation and reform initiatives.

  • Important update – public consultation now planned for later in 2026

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    The launch of the joint England and Wales public consultation on proposed reforms to reservoir safety is now planned for later in 2026, as we ensure the work aligns with the recently published Water White Paper and wider government priorities.


    The government is fully committed to reservoir safety, and we are grateful for the engagement and expertise that stakeholders have contributed to the reservoir reform programme so far.


    We have made significant progress already and the implemented changes can be found here: Reservoir Safety Reforms | Reservoir Safety Reform Programme | Engage Environment Agency


    We are currently reviewing the reservoir

    The launch of the joint England and Wales public consultation on proposed reforms to reservoir safety is now planned for later in 2026, as we ensure the work aligns with the recently published Water White Paper and wider government priorities.


    The government is fully committed to reservoir safety, and we are grateful for the engagement and expertise that stakeholders have contributed to the reservoir reform programme so far.


    We have made significant progress already and the implemented changes can be found here: Reservoir Safety Reforms | Reservoir Safety Reform Programme | Engage Environment Agency


    We are currently reviewing the reservoir reform proposals to ensure they align with the wider work on water regulation, support growth and avoid disproportionate increases in water bills or costs to farmers.


    We will continue working with the High-Level Engagement Group, Major Reservoir Owners Group, Single Reservoir Owners Group and Panel Engineers Committee.


    There will be opportunities to engage in ongoing work on hazard classification, engineer reforms and safety management practices over the next few months. We will be in touch with industry representatives for this to happen.


    We will provide further updates in due course.

  • The role of Small-scale Reservoir Owners in Reservoir Safety Reform + how to get involved

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    Why the Small-scale Reservoir Owners Group was set up - and why you should get involved

    Many small-scale reservoir owners are part of the agricultural sector, which has been facing significant challenges - from changes in legislation to concerns about feed shortages this season. However, we recognise that small-scale reservoir ownership and management spans a range of sectors and purposes, and these pressures highlight the broader need to ensure all owners’ voices are heard.

    The Small-scale Reservoir Owners Group was created to support active involvement in

    Why the Small-scale Reservoir Owners Group was set up - and why you should get involved

    Many small-scale reservoir owners are part of the agricultural sector, which has been facing significant challenges - from changes in legislation to concerns about feed shortages this season. However, we recognise that small-scale reservoir ownership and management spans a range of sectors and purposes, and these pressures highlight the broader need to ensure all owners’ voices are heard.

    The Small-scale Reservoir Owners Group was created to support active involvement in Reservoir Safety Reform, provide a space for shared concerns, and help shape future policy and practice. Whether your reservoir supports farming or other uses, your input is vital.

    Small-scale Reservoir Owner Volunteer Group (SROG)

    The Small-scale Reservoir Owner (SRO) volunteer group was established in September 2024 following a sector-wide survey, ensuring that the voices of individual reservoir owners are heard as part of the ongoing updating and modernising of the Reservoir Safety Reforms. Over the past year, the group has actively contributed to shaping policy and practice through a series of targeted workshops.

    Workshop Highlights

    Learning Lessons from Incidents – January 2025
    Jointly delivered by the Environment Agency (England) and Natural Resources Wales (Wales), this workshop explored key learnings from past reservoir incidents. It generated rich discussions and valuable insights that contributed to the development of the Reservoir Incidents Knowledge Base (RIKbase)

    Reservoir Safety Management Plans (RSMPs) Workshops – March 2025
    Two workshops focused on the development of RSMP, facilitated by Mott MacDonald on behalf of the joint England and Wales Reservoir Safety Reform Programme. These sessions saw strong engagement and covered key topics including:

    • Introduction to RSMPs

    • Registered Information

    • History Log

    • Operation and Maintenance Plan

    • Surveillance Plan

    • Monitoring Plan

    • Roles and Responsibilities

    • Owner Competency

    • The Reservoir Safety Case

    Feedback from these sessions is helping shape future policy and guidance.

    Access to Panel Engineers Workstream – June 2025
    This group is exploring access to Panel Engineer services for single reservoir owners - a critical issue identified in the Independent Reservoir Safety Review Report. Led collaboratively by Defra, the Environment Agency, Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales, this workstream aims to improve the future supply of panel engineers across the UK.

    Strengthening Representation

    In October 2025, six Small-scale Reservoir Owner (SRO) representatives were appointed to participate in higher-level engagement meetings. These individuals represent the broader SRO community, including the volunteer group, ensuring that the perspectives and experiences of single reservoir owners are considered in strategic discussions.

    Get Involved

    We’re proud of the progress made by our Small-scale Reservoir Owner (SRO) volunteer group, which has helped shape key areas of reservoir safety reform through a series of successful workshops.

    If you’re a single reservoir owner or involved in small-scale reservoir management and want to have your voice heard, we’d love for you to join us by completing the Get Involved – SRO Volunteer Group form.

    By registering your interest, you’ll be added to our SRO volunteer database and invited to future workshops and engagement opportunities. You’ll also have the chance to share your experiences with your representative, who will raise your views at High-Level Engagement Group (HLEG) meetings - helping influence national policy.

Page last updated: 10 Sep 2026, 09:17 AM