Official Statistics

Water abstraction statistics: England, 2000 to 2018

Updated 4 January 2023

Applies to England

1. Summary

Abstraction is the removal of water resources, permanently or temporarily, from rivers, lakes, canals, reservoirs or from underground strata. This release and the accompanying datasets provide estimates of licensed and actual abstraction by licence holders for a variety of purposes in England.

2. Contact

Enquires on this publication to: enviro.statistics@defra.gov.uk

Tel: 03459 335577 (Defra enquiries) Find out more about call charges at - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Lead statistician: Christine Holleran

Environmental Indicators, Statistics & Reporting team,

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,

Room 202,

Foss House,

Kings Pool,

1-2 Peasholme Green,

York,

YO1 7PX

3. Water abstraction from non-tidal surface water and groundwater

Latest estimates of the direct abstraction of water from non-tidal surface water and groundwater sources in England show no overall change from the 2017 figure of 10.4 billion cubic metres (Figure 3.1).

There had been a gradual decline in estimated abstractions between 2000 and 2011 but following a 13% increase in 2012 and a 5% reduction in 2013, there were increases in abstractions over the next 4 years (2014 to 2017) of between 3% and 8% (Figure 3.1). In 2018, the most recent year for which data are currently available, direct abstraction of water from non-tidal surface water and groundwater sources in England was estimated at 10.4 billion cubic metres. This latest estimate equates to a 27% increase on the 8.2 billion cubic metres low reported in 2011, but it is still 10% lower than the 11.6 billion cubic metres peak reported in 2001.

Figures for 2018 also indicate that 13% of total estimated non-tidal abstractions were from groundwater (Figure 3.1). The estimated amount of groundwater abstraction has decreased steadily from 2.4 billion cubic metres in 2000 to 2.1 billion cubic metres in 2018. Abstractions from non-tidal surface water had decreased more sharply from an estimated 8.8 billion cubic metres in 2000 to a low of 6.0 billion cubic metres in 2011. The figure has since increased again to an estimated 8.3 billion cubic metres in 2018.

3.1 Estimated abstractions from non-tidal surface water and groundwater in England by source, 2000 to 2018

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Note on Figure 3.1: The ‘All other’ category includes Spray irrigation, Agriculture, Private water supply, Other industry and Other.

Source: Environment Agency

The observed increase in abstraction between 2011 and 2017 is mostly accounted for by water abstracted for the purpose of generating electricity; estimated abstraction in this category increased from 1.4 billion cubic metres in 2011 to 3.3 billion cubic metres in 2017 (Figure 3.2). Abstraction for public water supply, which currently makes up 51% of total abstraction from non-tidal waters, has been relatively stable – increasing by 3% over the same 6-year period to an estimated 5.3 billion cubic metres in 2017. Estimated abstraction for fish farming, watercress growing and amenity ponds has fallen from 1.7 billion cubic metres in 2000 to 0.9 billion cubic metres in 2017; abstraction for ‘all other purposes’ has also fallen by a similar amount (an estimated 0.7 billion cubic metres) since 2000.

While overall estimates of abstraction from non-tidal surface waters and groundwater remained stable in 2018, there were increases in water abstraction for spray irrigation and the generation of electricity that were offset by reductions in abstraction for other industrial purposes and for fish farming, watercress growing and amenity ponds (Figure 3.2).

3.2 Estimated abstractions from non-tidal surface water and groundwater in England by purpose, 2000 to 2018

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Note on Figure 3.2: ‘All other’ includes Spray irrigation, Agriculture, Private water supply, Other industry and Other.

Source: Environment Agency

4. Reasons for change

The changes in abstraction levels between one year and the next can be due to a variety of factors, including:

• Prevailing weather conditions, for example, drier and warmer years could result in an increase or decrease in abstraction.

• Changes to how licence holders operate which impacts on the quantities of water abstracted.

• Changes to abstraction licences, such as the issue of new licences and modifications to, or revocation of, existing licences.

5. Other data available

Information on abstraction licences and estimated abstractions (2000 to 2018) can be downloaded. The following analyses are available:

• Abstraction licences in force and new licences determined by regional charge area (2000 to 2018)

• Abstraction licences in force by purpose and regional charge area (2012 to 2018)

• Estimated licensed and actual abstractions from all surface and groundwater sources by purpose (2000 to 2018)

• Estimated abstractions (2000 to 2018) from all surface and groundwaters by purpose and regional charge area

• Estimated abstractions (2000 to 2018) from tidal waters by purpose and regional charge area

• Estimated abstractions (2000 to 2018) from non-tidal surface waters by purpose and regional charge area

• Estimated abstractions (2000 to 2018) from groundwaters by purpose and regional charge area

• Estimated abstractions (2000 to 2018) from all sources except tidal by purpose and regional charge area

• Estimated abstractions (2000 to 2018) from all surface and groundwaters by purpose and source

The estimates of abstraction are categorised by purpose:

• Electricity generation

• Spray irrigation (agricultural and non-agricultural)

• Public water supply

• Other industry

• Agriculture (excluding spray irrigation)

• Fish farming, watercress growing and amenity ponds

• Private water supply

• Other

Estimated abstractions are also calculated for 3 source types:

• Non-tidal surface water

• Groundwater

• Tidal waters

More information on the methodology used to estimate annual abstraction is available on request from enviro.statistics@defra.gov.uk.

6. Further information

The Environment Agency only license abstraction that exceeds 20 cubic metres per day. Estimates are based on records of actual abstraction received by the Environment Agency from water abstraction licence holders. The information presented here is based on Environment Agency regional charge areas which are defined by river catchment boundaries.

Following the devolution of responsibility for regulating water abstraction licences in Wales to Natural Resources Wales and for the purposes of this report, information concerning the part of the Dee/Wye regional charge area falling within the country of England has been amalgamated into the North West and Midlands regional charge areas. This creates a break in the series from 2015 where figures for these 2 regions and the total estimated actual abstraction for England are not directly comparable to previous years. The effects of these changes were assessed and they were found to have increased the estimated figure for total abstraction of non-tidal surface water and groundwater in England by 2%. While the changes could result in increases or decreases of more or less than this figure for some specific purposes or water sources, such discontinuity is not viewed as a significant qualification of the results presented here given the annual variability in the estimates.