‘Undertakers’ for the purposes of the Reservoirs Act 1975

As the enforcement authority for the Reservoirs Act 1975 in England and Wales, the Environment Agency has a legal duty to secure that the ‘undertakers’ of large raised reservoirs observe and comply with the requirements of the Act. To assist in performing its duty, the Environment Agency has sought and obtained external legal advice from counsel on the meaning of ‘undertakers’ for the purposes of the Act. This paper summarises that advice.