With the continued dry weather, it is perhaps more important than ever to ensure you have the required abstraction license if needed as outlined below.

The requirements are:

• You must have a licence from the Environment Agency to take (abstract) more than 20 cubic metres (4,400 gallons) of water, from an inland or underground source for irrigation, in a single day.

• Once you have an abstraction licence, you must comply with its conditions when abstracting water for irrigation purposes.

• You do not need a licence if you abstract 20 cubic metres (4,400 gallons) or less, in a 24 hour period, provided your abstraction is part of a single operation.  If you abstract from the same source at several points, the exemption only applies if the combined total of all abstractions is less than 20 cubic metres a day.

The Environment Agency are under pressure to increase the groundwater quality and are starting to target illegal water abstractors, with some hefty fines issues.  For further information please contact your local FCG office or Harry at harryedwards@fcgagric.com