Reservoir Flood Preparedness
Contingency planning for a range of risks is a key responsibility for all local responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. Sir Michael Pitt, in his investigation, The Pitt Review: Lessons learned from the 2007 floods [external website], observed a lack of preparedness for a reservoir failure and made a number of recommendations for action. He advocated that Local Resilience Forums be given more information to enable them effectively to undertake planning, and to engage fully with downstream communities. He recommended that they be provided with reservior flood maps to enable them to assess risks and plan for contingency, warning and evacuation. He also recommended that the outline maps be made available to the public. The Government response to that review is available here. [external PDF]
The Government recognises that a major reservoir flood event could have a significant impact on the surrounding area. The Guidance available via this page provides information and advice for Category 1 and 2 responders under the Act, and planners more broadly, engaged in contingency planning against the risk of reservoir flooding. Separate guidance has been issued on the dissemination of maps and the timetable and funding available for this work.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) [external website] is lead department for flooding legislation, policy and regulations and for reservoir safety. The Environment Agency [external website], which reports to Defra, oversees reservoir safety and enforces the Reservoirs Act 1975. The Agency is responsible as an Enforcement Authority for some 2,000 reservoirs in England and Wales.
Intended Audience
The guidance linked to this page is aimed principally at local and regional resilience personnel who may become involved in planning for or responding to a reservoir flood emergency. Guidance for members of the public on flooding in general and on reservoir flooding in particular, is available on the Environment Agency website [external website]
What does the guidance cover?
The guidance covers the topics listed below. Please click on each link to access the indicated document.
Reservoir Inundation Framework
This document provides background information and links to a number of other sources of advice and guidance. It is particularly addressed at top tier or single tier local authority Category 1 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 but will be relevant to other Category 1 and 2 responders under the Act, and to the wider community. It will also be useful for owners and managers of reservoirs to use the guidance to complement their on-site planning work.
Reservoir Off-Site Plans Guidance and Checklist
This guidance gives background information about the planning process for reservoir flooding. It should be read in parallel with the supplementary guidance contained in the templates. The checklist provides a summary of the information that should be included in off-site plans. A table sets out options for a plan maintenance, validation and exercise regime.
Generic Off-Site Plan Template for Reservoir Emergencies
This document provides a suggested template for a generic reservoir emergency plan. It also incorporates guidance and suggested text under most of the section headings and should be used in parallel with the other guidance documents. The templates should be used flexibly and adapted to reflect local organisational structures, agreements and roles. Planners may also wish to vary, for example, the order or design of the template to reflect local practice.
Specific Off-Site Plan Template for Reservoir Emergencies
This document provides a suggested template for a site-specific reservoir emergency plan for a higher priority reservoir. It was developed in consultation with local resilience planners and responders. It also incorporates guidance and suggested text under most of the section headings and should be used in parallel with the other guidance documents. The templates should be used flexibly and adapted to reflect local organisational structures, agreements and roles. Planners may also wish to vary, for example, the order or design of the template to reflect local practice.
Warning and Informing Material
This document outlines the policy and principles to be engaged when warning in the event of an emergency and informing the public about reservoir emergencies. It includes a template public information leaflet. Generic FAQs and suggested answers will be issued and updated via the Gateway.
- Warning and Informing Guidance Documents
- Annex A - Template for a Communications Plan
- Annex B - Sample Leaflet
Frequently Asked Questions
For more detailed information about reservoirs, reservoir flooding and local response plans, a Frequently Asked Questions document is available:
- Reservoirs and reservoir flooding frequently asked questions [external website]
Additionally, Guidance for people living near reservoirs [external website] is also available.
Search Facility
The Environment Agency has adapted the existing 'What's In Your Backyard' [external website] facilty on its website to allow members of the public to see whether any location in England or Wales is in an area that could be at risk of reservoir flooding. It allows the public to view outline reservoir flood maps in the same way that flood maps for rivers and the sea are available.
The maps have been prepared for emergency planning purposes and for that reason they reflect a credible worst case scenario - this means that if a reservoir failure did occur it would most likely be less severe than the scenario shown in the maps.
Security Protocol
This sets out the process for controlling and handling reservoir flood maps to ensure that information is exchanged securely. A copy of the Protocol is availble on the National Resilience Extranet (NRE) in the RFM National Documents folder. A copy can also be obtained by calling the Defra Flood Management Helpdesk: 020 7238 6239.
Supporting guidance
All of the above guidance has been designed to support Emergency Preparedness. Emergency Preparedness sets out how the duties under the Civil Contingencies Act – 2004 (CCA) and its supporting Regulations should be implemented. Emergency Response and Recovery focuses on practical considerations, guiding principles and good practice for effective emergency response and recovery.
