The basin below the Wheel was flooded, and sensitive equipment was immersed.

The Wheel was constructed to reconnect the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals, and is designed to carry eight or more boats at a time. It is thought to be the world's only 'rotating' boatlift and was designed to replace a series of lock gates built in the 19th Century. It is also the showpiece of the £78m Millennium Link project which enables boaters to navigate coast-to-coast across the UK for the first time in over 40 years.

According to British Waterways, a detailed initial assessment of the damage has now been carried out, and it is clear that key components in the Wheel's hydraulic and electrical controls will have to be replaced. The first stage of repairs is already underway, but components - including sensitive electrical equipment - have to be allowed to dry naturally before a final assessment of the damage and repair options can be made.