Most licences require abstractors to accurately measure and report the quantity of water abstracted.
Measuring and recording the amount of water abstracted is important to ensure that abstraction is within the limits allowed in the licence. Most abstractors must provide the Environment Agency with accurate records of how much water is taken in order to enable them to:
- Ensure society’s need for water is balanced with that needed to maintain a healthy aquatic environment;
- Allocate spare resources to other abstractors;
- Charge some abstractors based on how much water they take
check compliance with licence conditions;
- Provide information on water usage.
Failure to submit a return could lead to enforcement action by the Environment Agency and is a potential cross compliance failure, so it is important to meet the deadline.