The Water Resources (Abstraction and Impounding) Regulations (SI 2006 No.641) were laid before Parliament on 10th March and entered into force on 1st April. These Regulations contain provisions relating to the licensing of abstraction and impounding of water in England and Wales in the light of amendments made by the Water Act 2003 to the Water Resources Act 1991 (”the Act”).

Part 2 relates to procedural requirements, including time limits in relation to the making of licence applications and in relation to appeals from decisions on licence applications for the abstraction or impounding of water. All applications for an abstraction licence or an impounding licence, other than those seeking to vary such a licence so as to reduce the quantity of water authorised to be abstracted, must be made to the Environment Agency.

Special provisions apply where the application relates to abstraction or impounding in a National Park or the Broads (regulation 9).

Part 3 of, and Schedule 2 to, these Regulations make modifications to the Act as it applies to abstraction or impounding by the Environment Agency, while Part 4 relates to the content of enforcement notices in relation to a breach of a restriction on the abstraction or impounding of water and works notices in relation to the protection of the environment.

The full text of the Regulations is available from the OPSI website at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20060641.htm

(Source: www.opsi.gov.uk, accessed 03/04/06)

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