This consultation ended 7 April 2016.
Details of outcome
Government response , file type: PDF, file size: 548 KB
Original consultation
We are consulting jointly with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on our approach to bringing exempt water abstractors into the licensing system.
Consultation description
This consultation will be of interest to both exempt and licensed water abstractors in England and Wales.
We want to ensure the long-term and sustainable management of water in Wales now and for future generations. As we set out in our Water Strategy for Wales this includes bringing some currently exempt abstractions into the licensing system. The water abstraction licensing system in England and Wales has developed over several decades but certain abstractions have remained exempt from licensing control.
Some of the activities that will be affected by these proposals include:
- Water Transfers such as those carried out by Navigation Harbour or Conservancy Authorities
- Dewatering as carried out in support of mines quarries or construction
- Trickle irrigation and warping in agriculture and farming
This consultation sets out our aims and proposals to:
- respond effectively to future demands on water
- enable the Regulator (NRW and EA) to manage water resources effectively at a catchment level
- manage water in a fair and comprehensive way
- develop an integrated water resource management system that can meet the needs of both present and future generations.
Consultation documents
