Severn Trent Water
Carsington Reservoir wayfinding

Carsington Reservoir is one of the largest visitor reservoirs in the UK Midlands, attracting roughly 1 million visits per year for water sports, walking, cycling, and birdwatching. It is also an active Severn Trent water-supply asset with operational hazards around treatment works, pumping stations, and water access points.

The existing signage was a patchwork accumulated over two decades. Different suppliers, different typography, different materials. Visitors regularly asked staff for directions to facilities clearly marked on (but illegible) signs. Safety signage at water access points was variable in quality. Severn Trent's facilities team flagged the situation for refresh as part of the broader site improvement plan.

The brief

The brief from Severn Trent had three requirements: coherent system across the entire site (visitor centre + 8-mile perimeter), BS EN ISO 7010 compliant safety signage at all water access and hazard points, and BS 8300 accessibility for the visitor centre and key destinations. Lifespan target of 7+ years to align with the broader site management plan.

What we did

The project ran in three phases over six weeks:

Phase 1 (week 1): Site survey covering the visitor centre, all entry/exit points, the 8-mile perimeter route, water access points, and operational areas. Photographic record of existing signage, identification of decision points, and audit of safety signage gaps.

Phase 2 (weeks 2-4): System design. Three monolith totems at major entry points (visitor centre, north gate, west gate). Fingerpost wayfinding at every decision point along the perimeter route. BS EN ISO 7010 safety signage at all water access, treatment works, and operational hazard points. Accessible tactile/braille signage at visitor centre destinations.

Phase 3 (weeks 5-6): Manufacture and installation. All external signage in 3mm aluminium composite (Dibond) with screen-printed graphics. Internal accessibility signage in engraved aluminium with applied tactile elements. Installation by our team across two weekends to minimise visitor disruption.

What changed

Visitor support load on staff dropped noticeably in the first month of operation. Severn Trent's accessibility audit recorded zero complaints in the 12 months following the refresh (versus a steady stream previously). Safety officers report that the consistent BS EN ISO 7010 signage has made hazard communication more reliable across operational handovers.

The aluminium composite construction with screen-printed graphics is now four years in, with no visible degradation. On track to exceed the 7-year lifespan target.