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  • 045 980200
  • Head Office: Áras Chill Dara Devoy Park Naas Co Kildare W91 X77F

Rural Water

Kildare County Council Rural Water Services Contacts:

045 980361

ruralwater@kildarecoco.ie

The Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Act 2022 and its associated Regulations

The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) requires controls over the abstraction of fresh surface water and groundwater, and impoundment of fresh surface water, including a register or registers of water abstractions and a requirement of prior authorisation for abstraction and impoundment.

Abstractions more than 25m3/day are REQUIRED to be Registered with the EPA and Abstractions more than 2,000m3/day are REQUIRED to be Licensed by the EPA

What are the different sources of water:

Water can be abstracted from either groundwater or surface water sources.

GROUNDWATER sources include:

  • Wells / Boreholes; and Springs.

 SURFACE WATER sources include:

  • Rivers / Streams / Canals.
  • Lakes.
  • Reservoirs; and Estuaries.

Abstraction from coastal water is not regulated under this Act and does not require registration or licensing.

Most of the water abstracted in Ireland is taken from surface water sources. 

Uses of water that need to be registered:

  • Agriculture.
  • Aquaculture.
  • Commercial.
  • Drainage.
  • Drinking Water.
  • Hydropower.
  • Industrial.
  • Mining and Quarrying.
  • Navigation; and Recreation 

Exempt abstractions:

  • Domestic Borehole / Well to provide drinking water to a domestic dwelling.
  • Temporary abstraction to facilitate carrying out of works.
  • Abstraction stored in impoundment or artificial storage pond built for the purpose of storing water which receives its inflow from an abstraction entered in register.
  • Abstraction for testing or investigative reasons.
  • Temporary abstraction to facilitate any works or operations authorised by or under an enactment.
  • Abstractions for Firefighting.
  • Works relating to associated impoundment of exempted abstraction.

 

The EPA has published guidance and templates related to abstraction registration and licensing on its website, see link below:

https://www.epa.ie/our-services/licensing/freshwater--marine/water-abstraction/

For additional advice and further information please contact the Kildare Rural Water Office:

on T: 045-980361 or E: ruralwater@kildarecoco.ie

With further useful information available on The National Federation of Group Water Schemes website, on the link below:

https://nfgws.ie/new-water-abstractions-bill-signed-into-law/