Code of Conduct for Water Abstractors
Water is a shared resource. Every abstractor in England and Wales has a responsibility not only to comply with the law but to act as a responsible steward of the water environment. This Code of Conduct sets out the standards expected of all water abstractors and members of the RealmCup community.
Preamble: The sustainable management of water resources is essential for the environment, the economy, and society. Responsible abstraction — taking only what is needed, when it is available, in a way that does not harm the environment — is the foundation of good water stewardship in England and Wales.
1. Legal Compliance
- Hold a valid abstraction licence where one is required under the Water Resources Act 1991
- Abstract only within the volumes and conditions specified in your licence
- Do not abstract during periods when licence conditions prohibit it (e.g., hands-off flow conditions)
- Register and maintain approved meters and submit accurate annual returns to the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales
- Notify the EA or NRW of any changes to abstraction operations, including changes to the point of abstraction or the purpose of use
- Comply with all conditions attached to your licence, including environmental conditions
- Do not transfer or assign your licence without the approval of the EA or NRW
2. Environmental Responsibility
- Minimise the environmental impact of abstraction, including on aquatic ecology, wetlands, and groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystems
- Comply with all environmental conditions attached to your licence, including hands-off flow conditions and minimum water level conditions
- Cease abstraction immediately if there is evidence of environmental harm attributable to your abstraction
- Report any suspected environmental damage to the EA or NRW promptly
- Consider the cumulative impact of abstraction on the catchment, not just the individual licence
- Install and maintain fish screens where required to prevent fish entering abstraction works
- Participate in catchment-level water resource management initiatives where relevant
3. Efficient Water Use
- Use water as efficiently as possible and avoid waste in all abstraction operations
- Implement water efficiency measures appropriate to your sector (agriculture, industry, public supply)
- Explore opportunities to reduce abstraction through water recycling and reuse
- Consider the impact of climate change on future water availability when planning abstraction operations
- Review abstraction volumes regularly and return unused licence entitlement to the EA or NRW
- Adopt best available techniques for water use efficiency in your sector
- Monitor and record water use accurately to identify opportunities for reduction
4. Engagement and Transparency
- Engage constructively with the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, and other regulatory bodies
- Participate in Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) partnerships where relevant to your abstraction
- Share data and information that could benefit catchment management, subject to confidentiality constraints
- Be transparent about abstraction operations and any issues that arise
- Respond promptly and honestly to requests for information from the EA or NRW
- Engage with neighbouring abstractors and water users to manage shared resources sustainably
- Support the development of local water resource management plans
5. RealmCup Community Standards
- Share knowledge and experience in good faith, acknowledging the limits of your expertise
- Cite sources and acknowledge uncertainty where relevant — do not present opinion as fact
- Treat other members with respect and professionalism at all times
- Do not share information that could facilitate illegal abstraction or circumvent the licensing system
- Report any content that appears to encourage non-compliance with regulations to the RealmCup moderation team
- Respect the intellectual property of others — do not reproduce copyrighted material without permission
- Declare any commercial interests when sharing information or advice that could benefit you commercially
Enforcement and Consequences
Failure to comply with the legal requirements set out in this Code of Conduct may result in enforcement action by the Environment Agency or Natural Resources Wales, including:
Enforcement Notice
Requiring remediation of non-compliance
Prosecution
Unlimited fine for unlicensed abstraction
Licence Revocation
Loss of abstraction rights
Civil Sanctions
Fixed or variable monetary penalties