Find out if you need a licence for dewatering a mine, a quarry or for a civil engineering project

You may need a water abstraction licence if you are planning to dewater (abstract groundwater or surface water) for:

• quarrying
• mining
• civil engineering projects

This allows for dry working below ground level.

The requirements for a licence applies to both active (pumped) and passive (via gravity) dewatering. 

Types of licences

Quarry dewatering

To abstract more than 20 cubic metres (20,000 litres) of water a day, you will need either a:

• Transfer licence for taking water from a quarry sump and transferring it to a discharge point outside the quarrying area (e.g. soakaway or water course)
• Full abstraction licence same as transfer licence, but with an intervening use of the water before discharge (e.g. dust suppression or mineral washing)

Mining

To abstract more than 20 cubic metres (20,000 litres) of water a day,  you will need either a:

• Transfer licence for taking water from a mine adit and transferring it to a discharge point outside the mine (e.g. soakaway or water course)
• Full abstraction licence same as transfer licence, but with an intervening use of the water before discharge (e.g. dust suppression or mineral washing)

We won’t require an abstraction licence for passive dewatering from abandoned mines where we consider it to pose a low risk to the environment. 

There will still be some situations where passive dewatering from abandoned mine adits may cause environmental damage, or where the water is utilised for a subsequent purpose – in which an abstraction licence is still required.

Dewatering (passive and pumped) from active mines and all other forms of passive dewatering remains a licensable activity. To apply visit out ‘Apply for a water abstraction or impoundment licence’ web page.

Conditions you must comply with

• the dewatering from the abandoned mine must take place under the influence of gravity
• the dewatering takes place from a mine abandoned prior to 31 December 2019
• abstraction does not cause or is not likely to cause:

1. 1. damage to a conservation site or specific features in or on such a site
   2. damage to protected species
   3. loss or damage to any spring, well or borehole used to supply water for any existing lawful use
   4. the water must be returned to a source of supply without intervening use.

Civil engineering dewatering

For projects like tunnelling, pipelines, and foundations:

To abstract more than 20 cubic metres (20,000 litres) of water a day,  you will need either a:

• Transfer licence for taking water during construction and transferring it to a discharge point (e.g. soakaway or water course)
• Full abstraction licence same as transfer licence, but with an intervening use of the water before discharge (e.g. dust suppression)

You do not need a licence for small-scale construction dewatering if:

• It is for less than 6 weeks
• It does not affect a conservation site.
• Water is discharged to a soakaway or immediately downstream of the works.

You can abstract up to 50 cubic metres (50,000 litres) of water per day without a licence if your abstraction is located less than:

• 500 metres from a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), Ramsar site, Biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• 250 metres from a spring well or borehole

If your abstraction is further away from these sensitive locations you can abstract up to 100 cubic metres (100,000 litres) of water per day without a licence.

Volumes greater than this will need an abstraction licence.

For civil engineering dewatering, it is recognised that dewatering often occurs in urban environments which are more likely to be affected by pollution.  Therefore it is  important that you do not make the groundwater quality worse by, for example, drawing in pollutant plumes from point sources.  

Step 12 of the guidance Hydrogeological impact appraisal for dewatering abstractions on GOV.UK will help with assessing this risk.

Before you apply for an abstraction licence

1. Conduct a hydrogeological impact assessment (HIA), following the guidance on Gov.uk
2. Apply for a groundwater consent

For assistance in determining the level of assessment required, use our pre-application advice service

Other permits required

If you are discharging the water into the local environment an Environmental Permit will be required.   This can be a groundwater activity permit if discharging to ground or a surface water activity permit if discharging to surface water.

Find pre-application advice for environmental permits 

Apply for a permit

Apply for an abstraction or transfer permit

Contact us

For more information or to discuss if your dewatering counts as small-scale, please get in touch.