Important update – public consultation now planned for later in 2026

The launch of the joint England and Wales public consultation on proposed reforms to reservoir safety is 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.