Water company United Utilities has defended its management of Thirlmere after fears were expressed that Keswick and villages downstream could flood again because the reservoir is already full – and with a wet start to 2021 being forecast.
Lynne Jones, from Keswick Flood Action Group (KFAG), and the town’s mayor Paul Titley both voiced concerns that a heavy storm could result in the River Greta being swamped with excess water flowing from Thirlmere.
Mrs Jones, who received an MBE for her work with KFAG, warned that the human damage would be worse this year than the last time Keswick flooded in 2015 as many residents are at home self-isolating or suffering from coronavirus.
“United Utilities needs to release more water in between storms to try and get a handle on the reservoir level to create storm space – but all we get are platitudes,” said Mrs Jones, whose home and guest house in Crosthwaite Road was flooded five years ago.
She said that last weekend the three-mile reservoir was full and overflowing its spillway by 15 centimetres, adding: “The long-range forecast for January and February is wetter than normal, so it seems sensible that you open the reservoir valves and release more water.”
Concerns have been raised by Mr Titley at Keswick Town Council’s meeting before Christmas when he said: “KFAG have a great national reputation but they have been fobbed off with this and that and arguments between United Utilities and the Environment Agency, who then chose to do nothing.
“I am sick of excuses. Nothing has changed since 2015. Thirlmere is full and it is still overtopping.
“There is no space and any storm we have in the next few weeks, there is nowhere for the rain to go but the River Greta.
“In any other circumstances, if you are in control of something with the potential to do to harm, like a car or a dog, you have a duty of care to make sure that doesn’t happen or at least reduce the risk.”
Mrs Jones has been trying to arrange a meeting with Keswick’s MP Trudy Harrison and United Utilities to discuss the issue.
A spokesman for the Warrington-based water giant said: “At Thirlmere we have a legal duty to manage the reservoir to ensure availability of the public water supply and also to make sure that we do not cause harm to St John’s Beck, which is part of the River Derwent special area of conservation.
“We are not legally obliged to release water for storm storage but we have a long-standing voluntary agreement with KFAG to do so.
“At this time of year we release water when the reservoir is three metres below full, however, we have never committed to maintaining that level.
“If the inflows are greater than what we can release, the reservoir will eventually fill and then spill naturally as it is designed to do. Changing the management plan at Thirlmere is not something United Utilities can decide to do alone.
“It is a complex issue which has an impact on water supplies and on the ecology and flood risk of the river downstream, so we continue to work with regulators such as the Environment Agency and Natural England on the long term plans.”
