They sold it to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in 1966, who wanted to improve the leisure facilities within their area, and have since developed it for watersports,[4] although it still supplies water to the canal.

[3] The reservoir now hosts watersports including scuba diving, yachting and water skiing.

Diving was suspended in 1967, as swimmers were perceived as a hazard to boats, but more negotiations led to a trial reinstatement of the activity in October 1968, and it became permanent in December 1969.

[10] In 1973 a group of Black Country scuba diving enthusiasts founded Dudley Nautilus Sub Aqua Club and in February 2016 they celebrated 40 years of being a BSAC branch.

Dudley Nautilus hold weekly dives at the Reservoir on Saturday mornings and training sessions at Halesowen Leisure Centre on Thursday evenings.