Because the reservoir is located in the Lake District National Park, there was public outcry at the thought of breaching the dam, with its effect on an area of natural beauty, while reducing the capacity of the reservoir would have been almost as contentious, and so was discounted. Although Croppers did not use the water from the reservoir, they decided to carry out repairs, which consisted of grouting of the foundations and crest of the dam; insertion of a liner into the scour pipe and a CCTV survey to prove its effectiveness; building a wall along the crest of the dam to prevent wave action damaging the downstream slope; removing silt from the tunnel through the downstream embankment; and grouting the spillway. A contract worth £100,125 was awarded to Askan Construction of Lancaster, with work commencing in August 1996. The liner consisted of a diameter HDPE pipe manufactured by Stewarts and Lloyds Plastic, and butt welded on site. Once all issues had been remedied, the reservoir was filled slowly, using the outlet valve to prevent water levels rising too fast. As a result of the work, the reservoir then met modern standards, and was expected to remain in good condition for several decades. The work carried out to the dam was gratefully acknowledged by Kentmere Parish meeting in a letter sent to James Cropper.