The government has published a new water abstraction reform plan, to help deliver a “Green Brexit”.
The plan aims to protect the environment, improve access to water where it is most needed and “modernise” the service.
It intends to prevent “unsustainable abstraction” by reviewing existing licences and introducing more controls to protect rivers, lakes and groundwater, as supplies come under increasing pressure.
Latest data shows five per cent of surface water bodies and 15 per cent of groundwater bodies are at risk from increasing water use by current abstraction licence holders that could damage the environment.
Defra said there will be a “strong focus” on catchment areas for water bodies to encourage more partnership working between the Environment Agency, abstractors and catchment groups.
The abstraction service will also be modernised to allow online applications for licences and it will be brought in line with other environmental permitting regulations.
Environment minister, Thérèse Coffey said: “The abstraction licencing system is in clear need of reform and I am very pleased to set out how we will do this in our plan. I believe our approach will work for all parties and, most importantly, will protect our precious water supplies.
“Our ambition is to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it and we will keep building on our successes by enhancing our environmental standards and delivering a Green Brexit.”
From January 2018 the Environment Agency will begin to regulate around 5,000 water users which have historically been exempt from regulation.
The government said this will “create a fairer system” and help protect the environment.
The Environment Agency’s work to address unsustainable abstraction should see around 90 per cent of surface water bodies and 77 per cent of groundwater bodies meet the required standards by 2021, according to the plan.
A report will be made to Parliament by May 2019 on the progress made on abstraction reform.