Recent canal reservoir improvements in the north-west of England

Reservoirs are high-risk assets and modern legislation requires that all reservoirs meet the highest current standards in respect of reservoir safety. British Waterways is responsible for a large number of reservoirs up to 240 years old, far older than the UK average. This paper discusses works carried out by British Waterways at reservoirs in the north-west of England between 2006 and 2010 to achieve this objective. The reservoirs are described and the works are grouped into the themes of spillways, freeboard, outlets, dam stability and emergency planning. The procedures for prioritising the works and selecting the most appropriate technical solution are considered.