Preparing an emergency flood plan for your reservoir
All reservoirs which store water behind a dam are at risk of deterioration, which can lead to flooding. To prepare for this — and help protect reservoir workers, those living in the surrounding area, and our environment — all reservoirs should have an onsite emergency flood plan in place.
An onsite emergency flood plan helps you prepare for an actual or potential uncontrolled release of water from your reservoir.
Your plan should include:
• details of what you will do in an emergency
• how you will reduce the effects of the failure
Who needs an onsite emergency flood plan
We advise all Reservoir Managers to prepare an onsite emergency flood plan for their reservoir.
Having an onsite emergency flood plan is not a statutory requirement in Scotland, but we advise you to have one, especially if you manage a High or Medium risk designated reservoir.
How to prepare your onsite emergency flood plan
Read our onsite emergency flood plan guidance to help create your plan.
You can use the suggested structure and headings in the guidance, along with our onsite emergency flood plan template, to design a plan that works for you.
For further information contact reservoirs@sepa.org.uk.