Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of changing water regulation to permit dynamic abstraction from rivers during high river levels which cause flooding.

Defra recognises the value of flood and high flow water, especially in water stressed catchments.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published a Regulatory Position Statement that allows abstractors to pump water outside of normal licence conditions during flood warnings. It is also reviewing the licensing requirements for other low risk abstractions, including high flow abstraction. The EA encourages abstractors to take advantage of high flows by varying their licences. It has introduced ‘e-alerts’ to notify abstractors when flows exceed licence thresholds, is exploring the potential for automated pumping systems, and supporting a ‘smart farming’ project sponsored by MHCLG to further improve access. Water taken by abstractors will have minimal effect on reducing flooding, as pumping capacities would typically be dwarfed by flood volumes.

The planned move of water resources into the Environmental Permitting Regulations will provide even greater flexibility to ensure abstractors can access high flow and flood water.