22/08/2025
I think CRT have done something about fighting the myth of reservoir sales.
I thought i would dig around and this is what I found:
🚫 No Sales on the Canal Side
Since the canals were nationalised back in 1948, and later handed over to the British Waterways Board in 1962 (and then to the Canal & River Trust, or CRT, in 2012), there’s been no sign—publicly or in the records—that any reservoir managed by British Waterways or CRT has ever been sold off. These aren’t just bits of infrastructure—they’re considered vital navigation and heritage assets. The approach has always been investment and care, not disposal.
🛡️ Strong Legal Protections Keep Reservoirs Safe
The law’s been pretty clear on this. The Transport Acts of 1962 and 1968 made it a duty for British Waterways to maintain the waterways and everything that supports them—including reservoirs—for public use. Then came the Reservoirs Act 1975, which added layers of safety, environmental, and public-interest responsibilities. Under these frameworks, there’s no record of either British Waterways or CRT even attempting to sell a canal reservoir, let alone succeeding.
📚 National Inventory Confirms No Transfers
There’s a hefty UK reservoir inventory that spans from 1789 to 2001, covering around 90% of the country’s total storage capacity. It logs construction dates, capacities, and uses—including canal supply—but crucially, it shows no transfers of ownership from British Waterways or CRT to private hands. So, we can say with confidence: canal-related reservoirs haven’t been sold off in the past century.
🏞️ CRT’s Current Role: Steward, Not Seller
Today, CRT looks after 74 large reservoirs, many of which date back to the 18th and 19th centuries. These are absolutely central to navigation, ecology, and heritage. CRT treats them as core infrastructure—not something to be sold off. Since taking over in 2012, CRT hasn’t announced or recorded any sales. Quite the opposite—they’ve invested £57 million over the past two years, with another £17 million per year earmarked for upgrades and climate resilience.
Even before CRT, British Waterways saw these reservoirs as strategic assets. When CRT took over, the 2012 transfer of responsibilities came with protections baked in under the Transport Act 1968.
🏘️ Who Has Sold Reservoirs?
That would be the private water companies. Since the 1990s, firms like Southern Water and Thames Water have sold off dozens of reservoirs—usually for housing or commercial development. These weren’t canal-related, but their sale has raised eyebrows and sparked public concern about how our water infrastructure is being managed.
Picture of Winterburn copied from CRT site, hope they don't mind!
