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Water News and Legislation
News Release from: The Environment Agency | Subject: Reservoir safety
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 06 October 2004
New Reservoir safety role for
Environment Agency
In a change resulting from the Water Act 2003, the responsibility for over 2000 reservoirs has now passed from the control of 140 local authorities to the Environment Agency
The Environment Agency today takes responsibility for assuring the safety of all major reservoirs in England and Wales In a change resulting from the Water Act 2003, the responsibility for over 2000 reservoirs has passed from the control of 140 local authorities to the Environment Agency
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 20 Oct 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The change makes the Environment Agency responsible for implementing the Reservoirs Act 1975.
Ian Hope, Environment Agency Technical Manager for Reservoir Safety said: "Until now, enforcement of the Reservoirs Act has been the responsibility of 140 individual local government authorities.
Understandably application of the Act has varied around the country.
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Transferring the role to a single body will enable a much more consistent approach to the regulatory role of reservoir safety".
As the enforcement authority, the Environment Agency is responsible for establishing and maintaining a register of reservoirs and ensuring that all reservoir owners have an established and effective regime for inspection and maintenance.
The Environment Agency, as Enforcement Authority, will seek to actively persuade reservoir owners to comply with the Act.
In the event of continued non-compliance, the Environment Agency can prosecute owners, and in extreme cases, commission essential services to achieve Reservoir Safety.
The Water Act 2003 requires Flood Plans to be produced for specified reservoirs.
This requirement is due to commence later in 2005 and will be preceded by a comprehensive consultation exercise led by the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Ian Hope continued: "This is an important new role for the Agency which will provide us with opportunities to improve efficiency and apply a more modern and consistent approach to the regulatory role.
As the primary body for flood risk management in England and Wales we already have experience in managing the safe operation of our own 129 reservoirs and we shall use this experience as we take on our new, enlarged role".
Reservoirs Act 1975 - Key dates for the Environment Agency.
1st October 2004 - Enforcement Role commences.
1st April 2005 - Biennial Report to DEFRA - Biennial Report to WAG.
October 2005 - Earliest practical date for commencement of Flood Plans.
Summer 2005 - Provisional date for proposed introduction of Voluntary Incident Reporting.
Key reservoir statistics.
25,000m3 - Volume of water above which Act applies.
2150 - Reservoirs under the Act in England and Wales.
140 - Current Enforcement Authorities in England and Wales.
129 - Agency owned/managed reservoirs.
The Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency is the leading public body protecting and improving the Environment in England and Wales.
We are involved with improving flood defences and providing information on flood risks.
We also work with all sections of the community to reduce flood risks through preventive planning, restoration of rivers and flood plains and better management of the disposal of surface water.
With our knowledge and experience as an environmental regulator we will be able to establish a consistent and effective role to the regulation of the Reservoirs Act 1975.
Modern Regulation.
As a modern regulator, we use approaches based on assessing environmental risks, ensuring society and the environment reap the maximum possible benefits.
In targeting our resources at the highest environmental risks and the poorest performing operators, we have developed outcome-focused and risk-based approaches to our regulation that are clearly communicated and delivered in a consistent manner.
We work in partnership with those we regulate to develop and implement new approaches to regulation and recognise and reward good environmental performance.
The Agency follows the five principles for a modern regulator as set out by the Better Regulation Taskforce.
We will be -.
- Transparent - having clear rules and processes.
- Accountable - we will explain our performance.
- Consistent - the same approach will be applied within and between sectors.
- Proportionate - resources will be allocated according to environmental risk.
- Targeted - the desired environmental outcome will be central to our planning.
We also believe regulations must be practicable.
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