Welsh Water to check reservoir for reopening
WORK to assess the chances of a Cardiff reservoir being reopened are due to start soon.
Welsh Water has written to residents laying out its plans to start checks at Llanishen reservoir.
It has said it will move onto the site for 12 months to begin preparatory work to check both the flora and fauna and condition of the reservoir.
When it took over the site from Celsa, Welsh Water said it wanted to open the site or public access as soon as possible and hoped it could be used for recreational purposes again.
It said that since the takeover, announced in January, it has been finalising plans so it can begin assessment work at the site.
In the letter, the company said: “Over the course of the next few months, you will likely notice an increased presence from Welsh Water personnel, and contractors working on our behalf, on the site.”
The work will include ecological surveys to check the flora and fauna that exists on the site and ground and dam condition surveys to understand the condition of Llanishen reservoir which has been drained for a number of years.
The company said that understanding its condition will be essential to help determine what remedial work is required to enable any future refill.
Health & Safety improvements will also be needed to manage any hazards on site which could pose a risk to public health.
Ground maintenance, such as grass cutting and vegetation removal around the banks of the reservoirs will be required.
It has reassured residents that it is working with Natural Resources Wales to make sure all work is carried out in line with the Site of Special Scientific Interest requirements of the site.
A compound for vehicles will be set up in the car park at the south of the site which it is estimated will be in place for 12 months.
Walkers currently use the car park and Welsh Water said alternatives routes will be provided for them.
Some vegetation will be cleared at the southern side and a fence will be put around the site.
“We appreciate that some people may feel that this is an excessive move, however, once completed, it will allow us to remove the fence that was placed at the top of the bank of Llanishen reservoir and enable managed access to the site to the public in the future.
“We will write with further information about the fence once a timescale has been confirmed.”
Welsh Water said that it will not be able to allow access to the site during the summer but “please be assured that we will open the site to visitors as soon as we can”.
Campaigners had battled for decades to get the north Cardiff site reopened and were delighted when Welsh Water announced it had taken on a 999-year lease for the popular Cardiff spot.