If you have a private water supply and take more than 20 cubic metres of water a day, you are now likely to require a licence from the Environment Agency – even if you have not needed one before.

Changes to the licensing system came into effect on 1 January 2018, when a number of licence exemptions were removed. These included the exemption for groundwater abstractions of between 20 and 227 cubic metres a day, and the exemption for surface water abstraction within the Till river catchment.

The licensing system applies to domestic users as well as to a farm or a business that takes water from a river or the ground. With regard to domestic users, a collection of houses on one borehole, well or spring supply may need a licence – see this Environment Agency leaflet for information.

The deadline for applying for a licence is 31 December 2019. For more information and to apply, visit the Environment Agency website.