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Following the recent extreme rainfall event, flooding and the precautionary evacuation in Pennal due to concerns regarding a local reservoir, I make this statement in response to issues raised by Assembly Members.


 


The safety of large raised reservoirs in Wales and England is governed by the provisions in the Reservoirs Act 1975 (1975 Act), which aims to reduce the risks posed to public safety from a reservoir or dam failure which may lead to severe flooding.


 


The 1975 Act seeks to ensure public safety through imposing a statutory obligation on the undertakers of reservoirs above a certain volume to take, and act on, independent professional advice on the integrity of the reservoir to manage and respond to all of the forces and conditions imposed on it. The purpose of this obligation is to reduce the risks of uncontrolled releases of water, which may lead to loss of life occurring, to an acceptable level.


 


The 1975 Act currently applies only to large raised reservoirs – that is, a reservoir which is designed to hold or capable of holding more than 25,000 cubic metres of water above the natural level of the adjoining ground. This threshold was set on the basis of failures of reservoirs of this size in the 1920s which caused loss of life and prompted the introduction of a 1930 Act. There are currently 1,925 large raised reservoirs in England and 201 in Wales.


 


Reservoirs with a raised capacity of less than 25,000 cubic metres, sometimes referred to as small raised reservoirs6, are not currently subject to any statutory safety requirements under the 1975 Act, irrespective of the possible consequences of any dam failure.


 


Since reservoir legislation was first introduced, there has been no loss of life through reservoir failure, however, in recent years there have been a number of near\-miss incidents where lives could have been lost if the reservoir had failed. Sir Michael Pitts report on the 2007 floods in England made 92 recommendations including updating reservoir safety legislation.  


 


Since the Pitt review, much work has been done to improve our reservoir safety.  Reservoir inundation maps for every reservoir in England and Wales registered under the 1975 Act has now been completed.  These inundation maps which indicate the “worst realistic case” effect of a dam breach on the downstream catchment have been prepared for emergency planning purposes and show the consequences of reservoir flooding, however, they do not show the likelihood of reservoir flooding occurring.


 


The maps were issued to local authorities in mid December 2009 and also made available to Category 1 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004\.


 


Further to this, Schedule 4 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (the 2010 Act) includes a number of provisions to updating reservoir safety legislation by amending the 1975 Act.  Chief amongst these were the reduction of the threshold for large raised reservoirs from 25,000 cubic metres to 10,000 cubic metres capacity and the introduction of the high risk designation for those large raised reservoirs thought to pose a risk to life.


 


To support these changes, the 2010 Act also contained a number of provisions allowing the UK Government and the Welsh Ministers to make a number of pieces of secondary legislation. These include powers to:


 


• determine how to calculate reservoir capacity


• substitute a different volume of water for the threshold figure


• define a structure or area to be treated as ‘large’ or define structures or areas not to be classed as a large raised reservoir, including considerations of their proximity to or potential communication with other structures or areas (cascade reservoirs)


• set the registration process


• specify the period for representations against a provisional designation and provide a right of appeal against designation


• specify the timing for inspections of large raised reservoirs


• define what is to be treated as abandonment and what is to be treated as bringing a reservoir back into use


• provide a right of appeal against a requirement to appoint an engineer and a requirement to carry out a recommendation of an engineer


• detail the assessment of the quality of engineers reports


• require people to make post incident safety reports


• prescribe a charging scheme


 


The primary reason for amending the 1975 Act is to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the public. The risks from reservoir breaches are classed as low likelihood/high consequence.


 


#### *Implementing Amendments to the Reservoir Act 1975*


 


In February 2012 the Welsh Government and Defra published a joint consultation on the Implementation of the amendments to the 1975 Act.  The consultation closed on 17 May 2012 and responses are currently being considered.


 


A summary of responses document will be published shortly on the Welsh Government website.  It is my intention to introduce the new threshold and supporting legislation during 2013/14\.


 


Once the amendments to the 1975 Act are introduced the Environment Agency will consider each reservoir registered under the Act and determine whether or not it is considered to be a high risk reservoir.  Those that are considered to be high risk will be designated as such and will be subject to the statutory safety regime.


 


#### *Pennal, June 2012*


 


Following the extreme rainfall event on the 8 and 9 June 2012, and the subsequent evacuation of Pennal on 10 June 2012, the Environment Agency used their powers under the 1975 Act to appoint an All Reservoirs Panel Engineer to carry out a post\-incident engineering investigation of the reservoir above the village.  


 


A site meeting was held on the 18 June and a Post incident report incorporating any lessons to be learned from the Pennal incident will be available as soon as possible.







Translation:


 
  
Yn dilyn yr holl law sydd wedi disgyn yn ddiweddar, yr achosion o lifogydd a’r ffaith y bu’n rhaid symud holl drigolion Pennal yn sgil pryderon ynghylch cronfa ddŵr leol, rwy’n cyflwyno’r datganiad hwn mewn ymateb i faterion a godwyd gan Aelodau’r Cynulliad.

  


Caiff diogelwch cyforgronfeydd dŵr mawr yng Nghymru a Lloegr ei lywodraethu gan ddarpariaethau yn Neddf Cronfeydd Dŵr 1975 (Deddf 1975\) sy’n ceisio lleihau’r risgiau i ddiogelwch y cyhoedd a allai ddeillio o fethiant cronfa ddŵr neu argae. Gallai methiant o’r fath arwain at lifogydd difrifol.

  


Mae Deddf 1975 yn ceisio sicrhau diogelwch y cyhoedd drwy osod rhwymedigaeth statudol ar ymgymerwyr cronfeydd dŵr uwchlaw cyfaint arbennig i dderbyn cyngor proffesiynol annibynnol a gweithredu arno ynghylch gallu’r gronfa ddŵr i reoli’r holl rymoedd a’r amodau a allai effeithio arni ac ymateb iddynt. Diben y rhwymedigaeth hon yw lleihau’r risgiau, hyd lefel dderbyniol, y gallai dŵr gael ei ryddhau mewn modd nad yw’n bosibl ei reoli, a allai beryglu bywydau pobl.  

  


Dim ond i gyforgronfeydd mawr y mae Deddf 1975 yn berthnasol ar hyn o bryd – hynny yw, cronfeydd dŵr sydd wedi’u cynllunio i ddal dros 25,000 metr ciwbig o ddŵr uwchlaw lefel naturiol y ddaear gerllaw. Pennwyd y trothwy hwn yn sgil methiannau cronfeydd dŵr o’r maint hwn yn yr 1920au a achosodd farwolaethau ac a ysgogodd Ddeddf 1930\. Ar hyn o bryd, mae 1,925 o gyforgronfeydd mawr yn Lloegr a 201 yng Nghymru.  

  


Nid yw cyforgronfeydd sydd â chapasiti o lai na 25,000 metr ciwbig, a elwir weithiau’n gyforgronfeydd bach, yn ddarostyngedig i unrhyw ofynion diogelwch statudol o dan Ddeddf 1975 ar hyn o bryd, waeth beth fo canlyniadau posibl methiant unrhyw argae.  

  


Ers i ddeddfwriaeth ynghylch cronfeydd dŵr gael ei chyflwyno gyntaf, nid oes unrhyw un wedi marw oherwydd methiannau cronfeydd dŵr. Eto i gyd, dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, mae achosion wedi codi lle gallai marwolaethau fod wedi digwydd petai’r cronfeydd dŵr wedi methu. Cyflwynodd adroddiad Syr Michael Pitts ar lifogydd 2007 yn Lloegr 92 o argymhellion, gan gynnwys diweddaru’r ddeddfwriaeth ynghylch diogelwch cronfeydd dŵr.  

  


Mae llawer iawn o waith wedi’i wneud i wella diogelwch ein cronfeydd dŵr ers adolygiad Pitt. Mae mapiau llifogydd bellach wedi’u cwblhau sy’n dangos effaith waethaf bosibl methiant argae ar y dalgylch. Lluniwyd map o’r fath ar gyfer pob cronfa ddŵr yng Nghymru a Lloegr sydd wedi’i chofrestru o dan Ddeddf 1975, at ddibenion cynllunio brys. Nid yw’r mapiau yn dangos, fodd bynnag, pa mor debygol yw llifogydd o ddigwydd yn sgil y cronfeydd dŵr.

  


Anfonwyd y mapiau at awdurdodau lleol ganol mis Rhagfyr 2009 ac fe’u gwnaed ar gael i ymatebwyr Categori 1 yn unol â Deddf Argyfyngau Sifil 2004\.  

  


Yn sgil hyn, mae Atodlen 4 i Ddeddf Rheoli Llifogydd a Dŵr 2010 (Deddf 2010\) yn cynnwys nifer o ddarpariaethau ar gyfer gwneud cronfeydd dŵr yn fwy diogel drwy ddiwygio Deddf 1975\. Un o’r prif ddarpariaethau oedd gostwng y trothwy ar gyfer cyforgronfeydd mawr o 25,000 metr ciwbig i 10,000 metr ciwbig a chyflwyno dynodiad risg uchel ar gyfer y cyforgronfeydd mawr hynny y credir y gallent beryglu bywydau.

  


I ategu’r newidiadau hyn, roedd Deddf 2010 hefyd yn cynnwys nifer o ddarpariaethau sy’n caniatáu i Lywodraeth y DU a Gweinidogion Cymru gyflwyno sawl darn o is\-ddeddfwriaeth. Mae’r rhain yn cynnwys pwerau i:  

  


• Bennu sut i gyfrifo capasiti cronfa ddŵr

• Pennu gwahanol gyfaint dŵr ar gyfer y trothwy

• Diffinio strwythur neu ardal i’w thrin fel strwythur neu ardal ‘fawr’ neu ddiffinio strwythurau neu ardaloedd na ddylid eu diffinio fel cyforgronfeydd mawr. Bydd hyn yn cynnwys ystyried a ydynt yn cydgyffwrdd â strwythurau  neu ardaloedd eraill (cronfeydd dŵr sy’n rhaeadrau)

• Pennu’r broses gofrestru

• Pennu’r cyfnod ar gyfer cyflwyno sylwadau yn gwrthwynebu dynodiad dros dro a rhoi’r hawl i apelio yn erbyn dynodiad

• Pennu amserlen ar gyfer archwilio cyforgronfeydd mawr

• Diffinio pa gronfeydd y dylid eu trin fel rhai a adewir a pha rai ddylai gael eu trin fel rhai sy’n dechrau cael eu hailddefnyddio

• Rhoi’r hawl i apelio yn erbyn gofyniad i benodi peiriannydd a gofyniad i roi argymhelliad peiriannydd ar waith

• Pennu’r modd y dylid asesu ansawdd adroddiadau gan beirianyddion  
• Ei gwneud yn ofynnol i bobl lunio adroddiadau diogelwch ar ôl unrhyw ddigwyddiadau

• Pennu cynllun ar gyfer codi tâl

  


Y prif reswm dros ddiwygio Deddf 1975 yw sicrhau bod mesurau diogelwch priodol yn eu lle i ddiogelu’r cyhoedd. Disgrifir y risgiau o ran cronfeydd dŵr sy’n gorlifo eu hargaeau yn risg tebygrwydd isel/risg canlyniad uchel.  

  


Gweithredu Diwygiadau i Ddeddf Cronfeydd Dŵr 1975

  


Ym mis Chwefror 2012, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru a Defra ymgynghoriad ar y cyd ynghylch gweithredu’r diwygiadau i Ddeddf 1975\. Daeth yr ymgynghoriad i ben ar 17 Mai 2012 ac mae’r ymatebion wrthi’n cael eu hystyried.  

  


Caiff crynodeb o’r ymatebion eu cyhoeddi’n fuan ar wefan Llywodraeth Cymru. Rwy’n bwriadu cyflwyno’r trothwy newydd ynghyd â’r ddeddfwriaeth ategol yn ystod 2013/14\.

  


Unwaith y caiff y diwygiadau i Ddeddf 1975 eu cyflwyno, bydd Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd yn ystyried pob cronfa ddŵr sydd wedi’i chofrestru o dan y Ddeddf ac yn barnu a ddylid ei hystyried yn gronfa ddŵr risg uchel. Caiff y cronfeydd dŵr y bernir eu bod yn rhai risg uchel eu dynodi felly a bydd yn rhaid iddynt gydymffurfio â’r drefn ddiogelwch statudol.

Pennal, Mehefin 2012

Yn dilyn y glaw eithriadol o drwm a ddisgynnodd ar 8 a 9 Mehefin 2012, a symud trigolion pentref Pennal ar 10 Mehefin 2012, defnyddiodd Asiantaeth yr Amgylchedd ei phwerau o dan Ddeddf 1975 i benodi Peiriannydd Panel Pob Cronfa Ddŵr i gynnal ymchwiliad peirianyddol i’r digwyddiad.  

Cynhaliwyd cyfarfod ar y safle ar 18 Mehefin a bydd adroddiad ar y digwyddiad a fydd yn cynnwys unrhyw wersi i’w dysgu yn sgil digwyddiad Pennal ar gael cyn gynted â phosibl.