Water Abstraction License Applications
Whether for Industry, Agriculture or Open Loop Ground Source heating and cooling, applying for and obtaining the correct abstraction license is a hugely important yet confusing process. At Aquifer Energy we have years of experience dealing with and applying for Water Abstraction Licenses. We have great contacts with the regional Environment Agency, SEPA and NRW offices and can guide you through the whole process.
Industry & Agriculture
Over the past few years we have seen the Environment Agency in England increasingly attempt to ‘Claw Back’ licensed abstraction volumes in areas of over abstraction in the lead up to 2027 Water Framework Directive and the new Environmental permitting regulations (EPR). This is particularly prevalent for ‘time limited’ licenses that are more commonly targeted by the EA over the older ‘Grand Father rights’. If you need assistance with renewing your abstraction license, please get in touch for a consultation.
Whilst it can be difficult to apply for new licenses in restricted or over abstracted areas this can often be overcome with detailed hydrogeological impact assessments, negotiation with the EA and use of ‘Hands off Flow’ (HoF) conditions. At Aquifer Energy we have significant experience in applying for water abstraction licenses in difficult or complex areas. If you’d like to know more, please send us an email outlining your scheme to lawrence@Aquifer.Energy
Open Loop Boreholes
Open Loop Ground Source Heat Pump systems, where water is physically moved from one location and transferred via a heat pump to a distant location, are booming in the UK with an increasingly large number of projects utilising them. The increased COP and often large volumes of water available make them a very attractive choice. However, across England and Wales the Environment Agency & NRW require these systems to be licensed with abstraction and discharge Permits in place (SEPA mostly operates under a general binding rule GBR 17 where all of the water abstracted is returned to the same geological horizon).
It is often a confusing process so below is a brief outline of the process from initial application to License issue in England
Submit a WR32 Application
Any Open Loop borehole Scheme that abstracts more than 20m3/day will need to be licensed. The process begins with the submission of a WR32 form and support documents that outline the scheme to the Environment Agency (EA). The EA will then request any additional required information and issue a Water features Survey request, where the applicant needs to investigate other abstractors in the vicinity of the proposed scheme.
Water Features Survey
The Environment Agency will specify a distance from your abstraction boreholes (the distance will vary by abstraction volume but for example 1.5km) in which all water features, boreholes, springs, rivers, ponds, wells etc need to be visited, documented and recorded. This allows the EA to accurately assess any potential impacts your scheme may have on other users as well as identifying any suitable monitoring locations for the test pumping programme. For more detail see our Water Features Survey Page
Ground Investigation Consent
After the Water features survey has been approved by the EA, they will issue a Ground Investigation Consent (GIC). This time limited consent will give you permission to drill and test pump your borehole. It will specify the depth and diameter of the boreholes as well as setting out a proposed Test Pumping regime and any monitoring locations that must be adhered to.
Drilling
Drilling Open Loop boreholes is a significant undertaking. The quality of the design and installation is critical to the long-term success of the system. It is imperative to use experienced teams for the design and installation of open loop systems.
Test pumping
Once the boreholes are drilled you will be required to test pump the system in line with EA requirements. This often involves a step test, constant rate test and operational test. Detailed monitoring of the boreholes with electronic loggers + the collection of water samples for chemical analysis will be required during test pumping.
License Application
Once your test pumping is completed you will be required to undertake a technical interpretation of the data and for it to be written into a test pumping report to be submitted along with your full license, discharge consent or exemption as well as the Environment Agency fee to the Environment Agency.
This process can at first seem daunting, but Aquifer Energy is on hand to support with all or part of the process. We have extensive experience on navigating the complex licensing requirements. If you’d like to find out more, please get in touch at lawrence@Aquifer.Energy