As dry summers bite and irrigation demand grows, more people are asking the same question: can I put a pump in that stream, or sink a borehole, and take the water I need? The honest answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Taking water from the environment is called abstraction, and in England it is regulated. This guide explains when you need a licence, how the Environment Agency decides, and, because it is what we do, how to match the right pump to whatever you are allowed to take.
It pairs with our piece on El Nino, extreme weather and water, which looks at why water security is climbing up everyone's list.
When do you need an abstraction licence?
The headline rule is volume. In England, if you plan to abstract more than 20 cubic metres (20,000 litres) a day from a river, stream, canal, pond, reservoir or underground source, you are likely to need an abstraction licence from the Environment Agency. Below that, many uses are exempt, but exemptions have narrowed in recent years, so do not assume. It is worth checking even for modest amounts. You can check whether you need a licence on GOV.UK.
Two practical points worth knowing up front. First, 20 cubic metres is not a lot once a pump is running: a typical irrigation or borehole pump can move that in well under an hour, so the daily limit is really a limit on how long you run it. Second, the licence governs the water you take out of the environment, so collecting rainwater off a roof into a tank is not abstraction and does not need a licence, which is why on-site storage is increasingly popular.
The three types of licence
If you do need one, there are three kinds:
Full licence. The standard licence for most ongoing abstraction, for example drawing from a borehole or watercourse to irrigate crops season after season.
Transfer licence. For moving water from one source to another without using it in between, such as transferring between watercourses or dewatering an excavation into a nearby ditch.
Temporary licence. For abstracting over a short period, 28 consecutive days or less, useful for a one-off job or a single dry spell.
If you want to build or alter a structure that changes the water level or flow, for example a weir or a storage pond on a watercourse, that is a separate consent: check if you need a licence to impound water.
How the Environment Agency decides
Whether a licence is granted, and on what terms, depends on how much water your catchment can spare. The Environment Agency manages this through a layered framework set out in its Managing water abstraction policy. In plain terms, it works down from national ambitions to your local river:
At the top sit the 25 Year Environment Plan and the river basin management plans, which set the environmental goals for each of England's river basin districts and aim to keep rivers and groundwater at good ecological status. The Water Abstraction Plan then drives reform towards sustainable abstraction and a stronger catchment focus. On the ground, this is delivered through the catchment abstraction management strategy (CAMS) and the national framework for water resources, alongside drought plans and the water companies' own plans.
For you, the document that matters most is your local abstraction licensing strategy. It tells you the water availability status of your catchment, broadly whether water is available, available only with restrictions, or not available at certain flows, and therefore how likely you are to get a licence and what conditions might apply. In a stressed catchment a new licence may be limited, time-bound or refused, which is exactly why having a storage and rainwater plan B is sensible.
Boreholes and groundwater
Groundwater can be a dependable, drought-resistant source, but it comes with its own rule. If you are sinking a borehole or well deeper than 15 metres, you must notify the British Geological Survey (BGS) before drilling, and the abstraction rules still apply to the water you then take. Boreholes are where pump choice gets specialist: water often sits well below the surface, beyond the reach of any surface pump, so you need a submersible borehole pump that goes down into the water and pushes it up. You can see our range of well and borehole pumps, which are high-pressure submersible pumps built long and narrow to fit inside a borehole and lift water from depth.
The bit most people miss: your licence and your pump must match
This is where a licence stops being paperwork and becomes an engineering spec. An abstraction licence does not just say yes or no; it sets limits, typically a maximum rate (how fast you can take water, often per second and per hour) and maximum volumes (per day and per year). Many licences also require you to fit a flow meter and keep records. Your pump has to be chosen to live within those numbers.
That means three things in practice:
Size the pump to the licensed rate, not just the job. A pump that can shift far more than your permitted rate is a liability, because it makes it easy to breach the licence. We size the pump so its delivery at your system's head sits within the rate you are allowed.
Match the pump to the source. Drawing from a deep borehole calls for a borehole pump; drawing from a stream, pond or tank usually calls for a surface or transfer pump from our irrigation pumps range. Get this wrong and the pump either cannot reach the water or wastes energy fighting it.
Plan for metering and control. If the licence needs a meter, build it into the pipework from the start, and consider automatic controls so the pump cannot run beyond your daily volume. It is far easier to design this in than to retrofit it.
For the full method of matching a pump to flow, head and source, see our guide to choosing a pump for irrigation.
If you cannot get a licence: store instead
In a water-stressed catchment, the answer may be that a new abstraction licence is unlikely. That is not the end of the road. Because collecting and storing rainwater is not abstraction, capturing roof water into tanks and pumping from that store is a licence-light way to build your own supply, and it sits at the very top of the sustainable drainage hierarchy, which now prioritises re-use. A surface or demand pump then delivers that stored water to your crops, garden or yard when you need it.
Get it right from the start
Abstraction is one of those areas where a short conversation early saves a lot of trouble later. Tell us your source, how much you need and where it has to go, and we will help you choose a pump that suits both the job and the limits of your licence. Browse well and borehole pumps or irrigation pumps, use the Pump Finder, or call the team on 0115 987 0358. For the rules themselves, always confirm the current position with the Environment Agency, as catchment status and exemptions change.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to pump water from a river or stream?
In England, if you take more than 20 cubic metres (20,000 litres) a day you are likely to need an abstraction licence from the Environment Agency. Smaller amounts are often exempt, but exemptions have narrowed and some uses such as trickle irrigation can need a licence regardless of volume, so always check first.
How much is 20 cubic metres of water?
20 cubic metres is 20,000 litres. It sounds a lot, but a typical irrigation or borehole pump can move it in well under an hour, so in practice the daily limit mainly governs how long you run the pump.
What types of abstraction licence are there?
Three. A full licence for ongoing abstraction, a transfer licence for moving water between sources without using it in between, and a temporary licence for 28 consecutive days or less. Altering water levels or flow with a structure needs a separate impounding licence.
Will I definitely get a licence?
Not necessarily. It depends on your catchment's water availability status, set out in the local abstraction licensing strategy through the CAMS process. In a stressed catchment a licence may be restricted, time-limited or refused, which is why a rainwater storage plan is a sensible backup.
Does my pump need to match the licence?
Yes. A licence sets a maximum abstraction rate and maximum daily and annual volumes, and often requires a flow meter. The pump should be sized so its output at your system's head stays within the permitted rate, with metering and controls designed in.
Do I need a licence to collect rainwater?
No. Collecting and storing rainwater, for example off a roof into a tank, is not abstraction and does not need an abstraction licence. Pumping from that store is a licence-light way to build a supply, and rainwater re-use sits at the top of the drainage hierarchy.
