ChangeChange, revoke or transfer a water abstraction or impoundment licence

If your circumstances or need for water changes, you can apply to revoke, transfer or vary your abstraction or impounding licence. If you apply to change your licence conditions it may affect your annual charge.

You can view your water abstraction or impounding licence information online.

Revoke your licence

If youryou circumstancesno orlonger need foryour waterabstraction changes,licence you can apply to varyrevoke orit. Use form application to revoke an abstraction licence. There is no charge for this type of application. See section 8 in Water resources licences: when and how you are charged to work out how the Environment Agency will calculate any refund due from your annual charge.

Make sure you fill in the correct licence number when you apply to revoke your licence.

If you need to abstract more than 20 cubic metres of water a day after the licence has been revoked, you must apply for a new licence. The Environment Agency cannot guarantee that they will grant you a new licence.

Contact the Environment Agency if you want to revoke your impounding licence.

Transfer your licence

Transferring the whole of an abstraction or impounding licence from one person to another is an administrative only variation. There is no charge for this type of application.

Apply using the form application to transfer an abstraction or impounding licence.

Death or bankruptcy

If the licence holder dies or is an individual who is declared bankrupt, the licence can become the responsibility of (can be ‘vested’ in) a personal representative of the licence holder.

The personal representative must notify the Environment Agency within 15 months that they are responsible for the licence using the form notification of death or bankruptcy of a water resources licence holder. The form describes the different types of personal representatives. There is no charge for this type of application.

If the personal representative does not notify the Environment Agency, the licence will become invalid and no one can abstract under that licence. Anyone wishing to abstract will need to apply for a new licence.

Change (vary) your licence

MakeYou suremust you apply for the right type of variation. If you do not, we will reject your application and ask you to reapply.

Administrative only

YouAn doadministrative notonly payvariation formust administrativemeet onlyall variations.the following criteria:

Read

• does thenot guidanceneed Waterany resourceskind licences:of whentechnical andinput
• does hownot youaffect arelicence chargedconditions

There tois checkno whatcharge for an administrative only variation. However, there is a charge is.to make administrative changes on a significant number of licences, or several changes to one licence.

Transfer

Examples yourof abstractionadministrative licence

only variations include:

Transferring

• to thechange wholeor ofcorrect ana abstractionname or impoundingaddress or trading title
• updating the aggregate volume condition on a licence frombut oneonly personto refer to anothera isrenewed anlicence administrativenumber onlyor variation.to Thereremove isan noexpired chargeor forrevoked this.
  licence number

UseApply using the form application to transfermake anadministrative abstractionchanges or impoundingminor licencechanges to apply.a water abstraction licence.

Minor variation

A minor variation must meet all the following criteria:

• needs minimal technical input because it will not affect the environment, protected rights or existing lawful users
• does not change the extent of the licence conditions, for example you cannot increase the volume or change the abstraction point
• does not need external consultation

You paymust £830apply for a minornormal variation.or substantial variation if your changes do not meet these criteria.

ReadMinor variations include:

• updating the guidanceaggregate Watervolume resourcescondition licences:on whena andlicence howto yourefer areto chargedthe new licence being aggregated to checkit whatbut with no change in aggregate volume
• removing a purpose (use) from a licence if separate quantities are not specified for each purpose – the licence holder cannot abstract for a different purpose at a greater rate
• removing an abstraction point where separate quantities are not specified for each point – the licence holder cannot abstract from a different point at a greater rate

You can find the charge for a minor variation is.in the guidance Water resources licences: when and how you are charged.

UseApply using the form application to make minor changes to a water abstraction licence to apply..

Reduce the quantity you abstract

Reducing the amount of water your licence allows you to abstract is a minor variation. However,There there is no charge for reducing the amount of water you abstract.

UseApply using the form application to reduce the amount you abstract to apply..

Split

Apportion (apportion)(split) your licence

To splitapportion (apportion)(split) an existing licence between 2 or more people without changing the conditions is a minor variation. Each person will get a licence with a proportion of the quantities and all other conditions remain the same.

You paycan £830find the charge for a minor variation.variation in the guidance Water resources licences: when and how you are charged.

UseApply using the form application to apportion an abstraction licence.

Trade some or all of your licence

You can agree to apply.give the rights to some or all of the water on your abstraction licence to someone else. See how to trade water abstraction rights.

Normal variation

A normal variation is a change which meets all the following criteria:

• changing one or more conditions of the licence
• requires the Environment Agency to do a technical assessment, but not a full reassessment (like for a new application) – this includes if they did this before they received your application to vary the licence
• is likely to need internal or external consultation

Normal variations include:

• adding or changing an abstraction purpose (use)
• adding or changing an abstraction point
• increasing the volume of water to be abstracted, hourly, daily or annually
• changing a gauging station or observation borehole referred to in a licence condition
• changing the lining in an abstraction borehole referred to in a licence condition

If your licence is to abstract from groundwater you must check whether you need to apply for consent to investigate a groundwater source before you apply to vary your licence.

You can find the charge for a normal variation for each licence type in Chapter 2: Water resources application charge tables in the charging scheme.

ReadSee the guidancesection Water‘How resourcesto licences:apply whenfor anda hownormal youor aresubstantial chargedvariation’ toin checkthis whatguide afor normalwhich variationapplication is.forms to use.

Substantial variation

YouA cansubstantial findvariation theis chargeone where you apply for amultiple substantialchanges variationto foran eachexisting licence typethat:

• will inrequire Chaptera 2:full Waterreassessment resourcesbecause the extent of the changes means the original assessment is no longer valid
• means the Environment Agency will need to spend a similar amount of time determining the application chargeto tablesthe intime they spend on a new licence application

For example, applying to change the chargingpurpose, scheme.increase the volume and move the abstraction point.

ReadIf theyour guidancelicence Wateris resourcesto licences:abstract whenfrom andgroundwater howyou must check whether you areneed chargedto apply for consent to investigate a groundwater source before you apply to checkvary whatyour licence.

You can find the charge for a substantial variation is.for each licence type in Chapter 2: Water resources application charge tables in the charging scheme.

How to apply tofor varya yournormal licence

or substantial variation

To vary your licence, you’llyou will need to use the relevant water resource application forms and form guidance notes.

To apply to vary your abstraction licenceor readimpoundment thelicences guidancefor anda completehydropower allscheme, ofsee thesenew forms:hydropower scheme: apply to build one.

• Part

  To Eapply applicationto chargevary foryour waterabstraction resources licence

• Part Aor applicationEPR permit for aan wateropen resourcesloop licence
• Partheat Bpump applicationsystem, foruse athe waterapplication resourcesforms abstractionfor licence
• Partopen Cloop applicationheat forpump asystems: waterpermits, resourcesconsents abstractionand licence

licences.

To apply to vary your impoundingfull or transfer abstraction licence read the guidance notes and complete all of these forms:

• Part E application charge for water resources licence
• Part A application for a water resources licence – about you
• Part B application for a water resources abstraction licence – about the abstraction
• Part DC application for a water resources impoundmentabstraction licence

You can– useadditional theinformation Environmentalsuch permitsas andthe abstractionduration licences: tables of chargesthe tolicence, workwater outuse and how muchyou it will costmeasure towhat varyyou yourhave licence.

Revokeabstracted

Part yourE licence

Thereapplication ischarge nofor chargewater toresources revokelicence a– licence.

your application charge

CompleteYou thedo formnot applicationneed to revokecomplete aPart waterE abstractionif licenceyou toare revokeapplying yourfor abstractionan licence.

Makeenvironmentally surebeneficial youabstraction, fillas explained in theWater correctresources licencelicences: number when youand applyhow foryou’re a revocation.charged.

ContactTo theapply Environmentto Agencyvary ifyour youimpounding wantlicence toread revokethe yourguidance impoundingnotes licence.and complete all of these forms:

Death

• Part orA bankruptcy

Ifapplication thefor licencea holderwater diesresources orlicence is– anabout individualyou

Part whoD isapplication declaredfor bankrupt,a thewater resources impoundment licence can– becomeabout theyour responsibilityimpounding ofproposal

Part (canE beapplication ‘vested’charge in)for theirwater trustee.

Theresources trusteelicence must– tellyour theapplication Environmentcharge

You Agencydo withinnot 15need monthsto thatcomplete theyPart E if you are responsibleapplying for thean licence.environmentally Ifbeneficial theyimpoundment, doas not,explained thein licenceWater willresources becomelicences: invalidwhen afterand 15how months.you’re charged.

UseYou can use the formEnvironmental notificationpermits ofand deathabstraction orlicences: bankruptcytables of acharges waterto resourceswork licenceout holderhow tomuch dealit withwill thesecost circumstances.to vary your licence.

Enforced changes to your licence

If your licensed abstraction is causing or could cause damage to the environment, the Environment Agency may propose to change or revoke your licence. ThisFor willexample, includeby adding a time limit to the licence if it does not already have one,one. unlessYou youcan propose to make thethese licence changechanges voluntarily.

TheYou licence holder may be entitled to compensation.compensation, However,unless ifthe your licence needs to be changed or revoked because it is causing or could cause serious damage to the environment, you will not be entitled to compensation.environment.

To help you understand whether you are eligible for compensation, read the leaflet RestoringChanging sustainablewater abstraction:abstraction compensationand impoundment licences, or emailcontact the Environment Agency Restoring Sustainable Abstraction team:

Email: rsa@environment-agency.gov.ukOCS_SA@environment-agency.gov.uk

Contact the Environment Agency