Roadford Reservoir (Original Construction & Future Capacity Enhancement)
West Devon, England, UK · 1980s (Work began); 1989 (Completed); 1990 (Dam completed); Future (Permanent works planning application for new capacity submitted December 2023) [SW Lakes Trust, The Oldie, South West Water]
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchRoadford reservoir completed South West Water's major three-reservoir strategy [Wiley Online Library] - Planning application submitted in December 2023 for permanent works to enable construction of a new 111 megalitre per day capacity, indicating ongoing investment in water resource resilience [South West Water] - The reservoir is a significant recreational hub, demonstrating multi-purpose use of water infrastructure [Emerald]
Key engineering challenges
Construction of a large dam and reservoir in West Devon, quadrupling storage in the region [Emerald, Wiley Online Library] - Environmental considerations during planning and construction, including impact on local ecology [Wiley Online Library] - Managing water levels and ensuring supply resilience during periods of drought [BBC News]
Project facts
- Client / owner
- South West Water
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
- —
- Project type
- new build | capacity enhancement
- Scale
- Dam over 430 metres long, up to 40 metres high; Surface area of 295 hectares (729 acres); Storage capacity of 34,500 megalitres (8 billion gallons); New 111 megalitre per day capacity planned [SW Lakes Trust, Devon Birds, South West Water]
- Disciplines
- Civil; geotechnical; environmental
- Standards & frameworks
- Dam safety regulations (implied); Environmental regulations
Sources: SW Lakes Trust (Discovering Roadford's History): https://www.swlakestrust.org.uk/blog/discovering-roadfords-history (Accessed: 2026-06-10) - Wiley Online Library (The Roadford Scheme): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-6593.1991.tb00684.x (Accessed: 2026-06-10) - South West Water (Roadford Project): https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/about-us/what-we-do/engineering-projects/wastewater/roadford (Accessed: 2026-06-10) - Devon Birds (Roadford Reservior): https://www.devonbirds.org/places-to-go/radford-reservior/ (Accessed: 2026-06-10) - The Oldie (The joy of Devon's fake lake): https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/the-joy-of-devons-fake-lake-patrick-barkham (Accessed: 2026-06-10) - BBC News (South West Water says major reservoirs are nearly full): https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cld4pz34zkvo (Accessed: 2026-06-10)