Apply for a water abstraction or impounding licence
How to apply to the Environment Agency for a water abstraction or impounding licence.
Applies to England
Types of water resources licence
There are different types of water resources licences you can apply for. They are:
- a full abstraction licence – for most types of water abstraction over 20 cubic metres a day
- a transfer abstraction licence – to move over 20 cubic metres of water a day from one source to another without intervening use
- a temporary abstraction licence – to abstract more than 20 cubic metres of water a day over a period of less than 28 days
- an impounding licence – to create or alter an impoundment structure such as a sluice, weir or dam
Before you apply
Not all abstraction and impoundment activities need a licence. Check if you need an abstraction licence or impounding licence. If you carry out an activity without a licence when you need one the Environment Agency may take enforcement action.
If you need a licence, you must check your local abstraction licensing strategy to find out:
- what the water availability status is in your catchment
- if you are likely to get a licence
If your local abstraction licensing strategy shows that you are not likely to get a licence, you may be able to enter into an agreement with an existing licence holder to trade abstraction rights.
Check if you must provide safe passage for eels or get approval for a fish pass as part of your activity. If you do not do this, you may have to redesign your scheme later.
You may have to give hydrological information when you apply for a licence. You can check the important hydrological information the Environment Agency may ask for.
Abstract groundwater
If you want to abstract groundwater you must check if you need to apply for consent to investigate a groundwater source before you apply for a licence. This includes boreholes, wells, springs, quarries and mineral workings.
You will need to do this if you want to:
- construct a well, borehole or other work (that relates to springs, quarries or mineral workings) from which you want to abstract groundwater
- extend the well, borehole or other work
- install or modify any machinery or apparatus which abstracts additional groundwater, such as by installing a larger pump
Get help with your application
Before you apply you can ask the Environment Agency’s pre-application advice service for help. For example, so you understand:
- what information the Environment Agency needs before they can accept your application
- the likelihood of getting a licence if you apply
How long an abstraction licence lasts
Abstraction licences may have a time limit linked to a common end date. You can find this in the abstraction licensing strategy for your area.
When the Environment Agency grants a licence for the first time, it’s likely to be for between 6 and 18 years.
They may also grant short duration licences where they think there may be issues with the licence or water availability in the longer term, or if you only need it for a short time.
In certain circumstances, they will consider granting licences for up to 24 years.
When they renew a licence it will normally be for another 12 years. It is the licence holder’s responsibility to apply to renew a licence before it expires.
Long duration licence
When you apply to abstract water for more than 12 years (up to 24 years) you must demonstrate (through a business case) that:
- the lifetime of the infrastructure (for example, pumps, pipework, reservoirs) inseparably associated with the licence will extend over the desired duration of the licence
- you continuously need the service or product the infrastructure supplies throughout the duration of the licence
- you have assessed the likely environmental and economic changes that may affect the abstraction over the duration of the licence and the assessment shows no significant concerns (if an environmental impact assessment is required under planning law, this may suffice – alternatively you will need to provide an environmental assessment)
- the infrastructure contributes to sustainable development
Charges
You must pay an application charge:
- to apply for a new licence
- for some changes (variations) to an existing licence
You will also usually need to pay an annual charge (called a ‘subsistence’ charge) once you hold a full abstraction licence.
Use the guidance on the charges for water resources licences to work out your application charge and annual charge (where required). You may have to pay additional charges during determination if the Environment Agency need to carry out extra work. For example, completing conservation assessments.
Application forms
You will need to fill in the relevant application forms to apply for a water resources licence. If you do not fill out the forms correctly the Environment Agency may return them to you or request extra information from you. This may delay your application.
To renew a licence on the same terms, use the application form for licence renewals. To renew a licence and make changes to it at the same time, use the application forms for a new licence.
To apply for permission for a hydropower scheme, see new hydropower scheme: apply to build one.
To apply for permissions for an open loop heat pump system, use the application forms on open loop heat pump systems: permits, consents and licences.
Application forms for a new licence to abstract water
To apply for a new full, transfer or temporary licence to abstract water, read the guidance notes and complete all of these forms:
- Part A application for a water resources licence – about you
- Part B application for a water resources abstraction licence – about the abstraction
- Part C application for a water resources abstraction licence – additional information such as the duration of the licence, water use and how you will measure what you have abstracted
- Part E application charge for water resources licence – your application charge
You do not need to complete Part E if you are applying for an environmentally beneficial abstraction, as explained in section 2.1.5 in the charges for water resources licences.
If you want to vary (change) an existing abstraction licence you may need to complete different forms.
Application forms for an impoundment
To apply for a licence for a new or existing impoundment, read the guidance notes and complete all of these forms:
- Part A application for a water resources licence – about you
- Part D application for a water resources impoundment licence – about your impounding proposal
- Part E application charge for water resources licence – your application charge
You do not need to complete Part E if you are applying for an environmentally beneficial impoundment, as explained in section 2.1.5 in the charges for water resources licences.
If you want to vary (change) an existing impounding licence you may need to complete different forms.
After you apply
The Environment Agency will check your application forms. If they are not filled out correctly they may:
- return them to you
- request further information from you
The Environment Agency will usually make a decision on:
- temporary licence applications within 28 days – they may extend this by up to 56 days to consult with third parties if it’s near a conservation site
- all other licence applications within 4 months
If your application is complex, it needs to be advertised or there is a queue of applications, it may take longer. If this applies to you, the Environment Agency will tell you and may ask you to agree an extension of time for their decision.
If you are granted a licence, you will receive it as a PDF by email. You can also manage your licences online.
The licence will contain the conditions you must follow to legally abstract or impound water. You must comply with your water abstraction or impoundment licence conditions.
Contact the Environment Agency
General enquiries
National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY
Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Telephone 03708 506 506
Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Updates to this page
Last updated 1 June 2023 + show all updates
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We have reordered the information; clarified when you need to apply for a consent to investigate a groundwater source; presented the application form information more concisely and made it clear when Part E is required; confirmed what happens after you apply for a licence; made it clearer where guidance on hydrological information is; moved the ‘trading abstraction rights’ information to its own webpage; moved the compliance and enforcement information to its own webpage.
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Added link to the new guidance 'apply for consent to investigate a groundwater source'.
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Added links to updated guidance on how to check if you need an abstraction or impounding licence. Updated the section on how to work out water resource licence charges. Added a reference to new part E application form, which is for stating the application charge to pay. Added a link to new guidance on how to get pre-application advice. Moved information into this guidance (from other pages) about how long a licence lasts, plus how to trade abstraction rights.
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Added to 'Application forms' section: We may require hydrological information when you apply for a water abstraction or impounding licence. See guidance 'Abstract or impound water: hydrological information'.
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Added a new section 'Safe passage for eels'. Edited the section 'Before you apply': From 1 April 2021, when you send the Environment Agency your pre-application form they will send you a standard reply with information to help you complete your application. This service will continue until at least 31 March 2022.
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Edited the section 'Before you apply' - From 1 April 2021, when you send us your pre-application forms we will send you a standard reply with information to help you complete your application. We will review this service on 30 September 2021.
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We have removed references to licences for previously exempt activities as they are no longer available.
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We have updated the link to the Scheme of abstraction charges 2020 to 2021.
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Updated with new charges introduced from 1 April 2018 following the review of Environment Agency charges.
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All references to 'currently exempt abstraction' changed to 'previously exempt abstraction'.
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New information published on new authorisation licences.
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From 1 October 2015 the Environment Agency will provide 15 hours of free pre-application technical advice. The charge for further advice is £125 per hour (VAT exempt).
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First published.