Water Abstraction

Taking water from a surface source (such as a river, stream or canal) or from an underground source is Water Abstraction, for which, subject to certain exceptions, a Licence is necessary. The Environment Agency (EA) is responsible for managing water resources in England. They do this with reference to:

1. •

   abstraction licence strategies

2. •

   the catchment abstraction management strategy (CAMS) process

The EA sets out its approach to water management and regulatory framework in ‘Managing water abstraction’.

Section 61 of the Water Act 2014 enables the Secretary of State and the Welsh Ministers to make regulations to extend the environmental permitting regime to cover water abstraction licences. This area of policy reform is explored further in Practice Note: Water abstraction and impounding—rights and timeline of reform.

When is an abstraction licence needed?

Any person who abstracts more than 20 cubic metres (4,000 gallons) of water per day from surface waters (river, stream, lake, pond, reservoir, canal, spring, dock, channel, bay), groundwater, or an underground water reserve must obtain an abstraction licence from the EA or