Kielder Reservoir's 'user manual' updated

1st September 2010

 Kielder Reservoir’s “user manual” updated

Updated plans have been drawn up to manage releases of water from northern Europe’s largest man-made reservoir.

Environment Agency hydrologists and Northumbrian Water staff have finished the latest version of the Kielder Operating Agreement, a detailed “user manual” which sets out how Kielder will be managed, as well as other reservoirs and river abstractions which depend on Kielder for support in dry conditions.

Northumbrian Water owns and operates Kielder, which holds just under 200 billion litres of water, and the Environment Agency works with the water company to make sure it meets its obligations in managing water supplies.

The operating agreement is a complex, technical document for water company and Environment Agency staff and is updated periodically. The last review of the agreement took place in the 1990s.

“The operating agreement shows how the whole reservoir and river system is linked in together, and how and when water is moved about,” said Environment Agency hydrology technical officer Gemma Nixon.

“We measure river flows and monitor releases from reservoirs at gauging stations across the area and are in regular contact with Northumbrian Water about how the system is operating.”

Water can be released from Kielder into the North Tyne and then via the Kielder Tunnel to the rivers Wear and Tees to support water company abstractions.

There are many demands on the water network in the North East, including domestic and industrial customers, as well as hydropower generation. These have to be accommodated without compromising the environment and wildlife, creating flood risk, or causing problems for recreational water users such as boaters.

The operating agreement is a confidential document so a summary has been produced for the public.

For a copy of the public summary document, email kielder.reservoir@environment-agency.gov.uk

ENDS

Media enquiries to Environment Agency: 0113 231 2381 / 2464 / 2373 or outside normal office hours, please call 0800 80 70 60.

Notes to editors
The operating agreement is updated periodically. The last review of the agreement took place in the 1990s and the recent update is not linked to this year’s dry weather conditions.