Guidance

Manage your water abstraction or impoundment licence online

Use this service to view and share your licence information and to submit abstraction returns. Find out about water abstraction alerts.

From:
Environment Agency
Published
27 March 2018
Last updated
141 AprilJune 20222023 — See all updates

Applies to England

You can manage your licence by creating an online account. Once you have an account you willcan beuse ablethis service to:

  • submit returns
  • view your licence information
  • give other people access to manage your licence and returns
  • submit abstraction returns

Create an account or sign in.

Submit abstraction returns

Most abstraction licences will ask you to submit a record of your abstraction (a return)‘return’) to the Environment Agency.Agency each year. Even if you have not taken any water, you must submit a nil return if your licence states that you must report your water use.

YouIf canyou nowhave doa thisproblem online.

Managewith yourusing licencethe andonline service to submit returns.your returns, contact the Environment Agency.

Deadlines for returns

Returns are due before 28 April and 28 November, depending on the terms of your licence.

Your paper licence

The information included in this service does not replace or affect the legal (paper) copy of the licence issued to you. The information must be used for reference only. You must refer to and comply with the licencepaper issuedcopy toof youthe aslicence a paper copy when you make decisions about abstracting or impounding water.

Modernising You can only use the information in the service

for reference.

ModernisingYou cannot use the waterservice resourcesto licensingcorrect serviceinformation isin justyour onelicence partor ofmake changes to the Waterconditions. abstractionSee plan:change Abstractiona licensingwater serviceabstraction or impoundment licence.

Abstraction alerts

FromSome April 2022, some licence holders willcan now get water abstraction alerts by email. WeThe Environment Agency send water abstraction alerts to licence holders with ‘hands-off’ conditions when:

  • a restriction is likely to come into force
  • wethey have put a restriction in place
  • abstraction can begin again

WeThey can send email alerts more quickly than postal alerts. This means licence holders and operators:

  • are better able to prepare for any disruption to abstracting
  • can quickly start taking water again once river flows or groundwater water levels have recovered

WeThe Environment Agency will contact you to tell you how to opt-in to the email alerts.

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.

Published 27 March 2018
Last updated 141 AprilJune 20222023 + show all updates

  1. We've added contact information for if you cannot submit your returns online. We've removed information about modernising the service to keep the page focused on using the Water Resources Licensing Service and how this can benefit customers.

  2. Added information about water abstraction alerts. This service begins from April 2022.

  3. You can now submit abstraction returns online. If you usually submit returns via the Generic Operator Returns (GOR) online service, sign up to this new service.

  4. Added section 'About this digital service'.

  5. First published.

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