Reservoir safety work to take nine months

Vital safety work is to be carried out at a North Yorkshire reservoir which was built almost a century ago.

Engineers have already begun work on the overflow at Leighton reservoir, near Masham, which will see work carried out to maintain the condition and increase the size of the existing spillway, which was originally built in 1926.

The work – which is expected to take nine months to complete – is required to ensure the overflow continues to protect the reservoir embankment by diverting excess water away from the site to 
prevent flood erosion which 
could ultimately lead to dam failures.

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Tim Dyke, Yorkshire Water’s project manager for the scheme, said: “It’s vital that we carry out this work at Leighton reservoir in order to ensure it meets the very highest safety standards and continues to perform its role effectively.

“We will try to keep any disruption to local residents and site users to an absolute minimum during this vital project.”

The reservoir at Leighton has a capacity of almost five million cubic metres and is formed by an earth embankment which is more than a quarter of a mile long and up to 130ft high.

Work will see the height of the existing spillway walls raised by around seven feet along part of its length and the existing wave wall will also be extended.

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The fishing club at the reservoir will be open as usual and car parks and access to the site will not be affected.

Yorkshire Water warned yesterday that although the reservoir is not open to the public, locals may notice an increase in traffic going to and from the site.

The company and its contractors will not need access to any properties during the work and is advising local residents to be vigilant about bogus callers.

The work is part of Yorkshire Water’s £60m programme of work to maintain and modernise the region’s reservoirs.