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  • Civil sanctions for reservoir managers

Civil sanctions for reservoir managers

It’s important we have the most up-to-date information about a controlled reservoir, so we can support in a reservoir emergency.

We can issue Fixed Monetary Penalties (FMPs) of between £300 and £1,000 to reservoir managers.

We can also issue Variable Monetary Penalties (VMPs) of up to £10,000 for majority of offences within Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011.

Reservoir statutory duties

A reservoir manager may be served an FMP or VMP for:

  • failing to send in engineer appointment notifications

  • failing to send in new reservoir manager notifications

  • failing to send in ‘ceasing to be reservoir manager’ notifications

  • failing to send in ‘change to controlled reservoir information’ notifications including contact details and reservoir specific detail

  • failing to send in notification of relevant works for new and existing reservoirs

  • failing to co-operate with other reservoir managers where there are multiple reservoir managers at one reservoir

  • failing to register a new reservoir

  • failing to appoint a construction engineer

  • failing to keep records of water levels and visual inspections as instructed by a Supervising Engineer

  • failing to comply with direction as to the taking of measures in inspection report

  • failing to comply with an enforcement notice

  • failure to comply with directions as to the taking of measures in inspection report

  • failure to comply with enforcement notice.

It is crucial, that in a reservoir emergency, we have the most up-to-date information about a controlled reservoir, including contact details and reservoir specific details.

Offences that SEPA can serve FMPs and VMPs for can be found in Schedule 4 of the Environmental Regulation (Enforcement Measures) (Scotland) Order 2015.