UK Act of Parliament 1975 United Kingdom

Reservoirs Act 1975

An Act to make futher provision against escapes of water from large reservoirs or from lakes or lochs artificially created or enlarged.

Read the Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Enforced by
Environment Agency, NRW
Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Imprisonment 3 of 16 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 2 carry different penalties and 11 have no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Statutory Undertaker11 Any Person2

Plus 3 duties on the regulator, Crown ministers and public bodies — folded into the section list below.

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Statutory Undertaker — also bound by 179 other Acts
Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

s.002 Registration of large raised reservoirs, and enforcement of Act, by local authorities. (opens in a new tab) Imprisonment
  • Register your large raised reservoir with the relevant authorityStatutory Undertaker
s.002 Review Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Environment Agency and NRW must review reservoir risk designationsStatutory regulator
s.002 Appeals Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Minister must provide a right of appeal against reservoir designationsCrown / Minister / Government department
s.010 Periodical inspection of large raised reservoirs. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Arrange periodic inspections and implement safety measures for reservoirsStatutory Undertaker

Unlimited fine

s.011 Recording of water levels etc. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Monitor and record water levels and safety data for high-risk reservoirsStatutory Undertaker

Unlimited fine

s.012 Supervision of large raised reservoirs. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Appoint a supervising engineer for high-risk reservoirsStatutory Undertaker
s.013 Discontinuance of large raised reservoirs. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Employ a qualified civil engineer for reservoir alterationsStatutory Undertaker
s.015 Reserve powers. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Follow enforcement authority's engineer appointment if you fail to appoint oneStatutory Undertaker
s.017 Powers of entry. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Obstructing access to a reservoir siteAny Person

Fine up to £1,000

s.019 Appeals Regulated
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
  • Minister must establish a right of appeal for reservoir ownersCrown / Minister / Government department
s.020 General provisions as to reports, certificates etc. of engineers. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Keep reservoir reports and send copies to the enforcement authorityStatutory Undertaker

Unlimited fine

s.021 Duty of undertakers to furnish information. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Notify the regulator before building or restarting a large reservoirStatutory Undertaker
s.022 Criminal liability of undertakers and their employees. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Fail to register or comply with reservoir regulationsAny Person
s.022 Expenses Regulated
  • Pay the regulator's expenses for engineer consultationsStatutory Undertaker
s.024 Notification to local authorities of existing reservoirs. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Notify local authority of existing large raised reservoirStatutory Undertaker
s.026 Reservoirs constructed before commencement of previous Act. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Arrange first inspection of pre-1930 reservoirsStatutory Undertaker
33 other provisions — procedural and definitional
s.001 Ambit of Act and interpretation. (opens in a new tab)
s.002 Consideration of risk and provisional designation: England and Wales
s.002 Designation
s.002 Meaning of “high-risk reservoir”
s.003 Reports by local authorities to, and supervisory powers of, Secretary of State. (opens in a new tab)
s.004 Qualification of engineers. (opens in a new tab)
s.005 Power to prescribe by regulations. (opens in a new tab)
s.006 Construction or enlargement of reservoirs. (opens in a new tab)
s.007 Certificates of construction engineers. (opens in a new tab)
s.008 Powers of enforcement authority in event of non-compliance with requirements as to construction or enlargement of reservoirs. (opens in a new tab)
s.009 Re-use of abandoned reservoirs. (opens in a new tab)
s.012 Flood plans: large raised reservoirs
s.012 Flood plans: preparation
s.012 Flood plans and national security
s.014 Abandonment of large raised reservoirs. (opens in a new tab)
s.016 Emergency powers. (opens in a new tab)
s.018 Compensation to third parties for damage or disturbance. (opens in a new tab)
s.019 Reference of disputed recommendations to referee. (opens in a new tab)
s.020 Assessment of reports and statements
s.021 Power to require information
s.021 Reports
s.022 Service of notices by the Environment Agency and the NRBW
s.022 Arrangements for civil protection: charges
s.023 Continuity with previous Act. (opens in a new tab)
s.025 Reservoirs in course of construction or alteration, or newly constructed or altered. (opens in a new tab)
s.027 Large raised reservoirs not within previous Act. (opens in a new tab)
s.027 Crown application
s.027 Ministerial responsibility
s.028 Repeal. (opens in a new tab)
s.029 Commencement. (opens in a new tab)
s.030 Short title and extent. (opens in a new tab)
s.large raised reservoir”: england and wales Large raised reservoir”: England and Wales
s.para.49 Where damage or injury is caused by the escape of...
Schedules

Schedules

0 of 2 shown
2 other schedules
s.002 Liability for Damage and Injury (opens in a new tab)
s.sch001 Index of General Definitions (opens in a new tab)

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

Reservoir registration and safety inspections

How to register large raised reservoirs, appoint panel engineers, comply with inspection requirements, and meet safety obligations under the Reservoirs Act 1975 …
2 more guides that reference this instrument
Meet your water industry regulatory duties Water supply: compliance checklist

Connected legislation

Instruments made under this Act. They carry the detail the Act delegates.

The Flood Risk (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2011 SI 2011/2880 Welsh Statutory Instrument

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.