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How to register a water abstraction and update a water abstraction registration

 

Registration of a Water Abstraction

By law, if you abstract between 25m3/day and 1,999m3/day inclusive, you must register this abstraction with the EPA.

Registration is free and can only be done online. Register your abstraction by following these steps:

  1. Sign up to the EPA's Environmental Data Exchange Network (EDEN) website and request access to the Water Abstractions Module.
  2. Submit your abstraction details in the Water Abstractions Module via the EDEN website.

Guidance on this process is available here.

When your registration is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from the EPA.

 

Information required when registering an abstraction

You need to provide the following information when registering an abstraction:

  • The name and address of the natural person or legal entity (sole trade or body corporate (a limited company))  carrying out or intending to carry out an abstraction.
  • Contact details of the primary contact for correspondence on the abstraction.
  • Contact details of the primary person responsible for managing the abstraction, if different to the primary contact for correspondence.
  • Abstraction location details, such as the address and Eircode (if available).
  • Abstraction type details (e.g. is it from a river, lake, groundwater well/borehole, etc.).
  • Details of abstraction purpose/sector, such as drinking water, industrial, agriculture or commercial.
  • Date the abstraction commenced or is proposed to commence.
  • The number of abstraction points and details of each (location including grid reference, waterbody code (if applicable), seasonality, use).

If you are abstracting water from two or more abstraction points in the same waterbody which join to form one abstraction, register all points under the same registration. For example, a factory abstracting from several wells from the same ground waterbody to supply their process water.
In the situation where there are two or more abstractions from different waterbodies, these abstractions must be registered separately. For example, abstractions undertaken by the same farmer at two different farms, using water drawn from different waterbodies, must be registered separately.

  • The largest amount of water you would abstract from the abstraction in one day (called the maximum daily abstraction volume, measured or estimated in cubic metres per day (m3/d)). Typically, the maximum volume of water would be used on a dry summer's day. You can provide an estimated value if you do not have an exact figure. See Determining water volume abstracted.
  • The average amount of water you would use from the abstraction over the course of a year (called the annual abstraction volume, measured or estimated in cubic metres per year (m3/yr)). You can provide an estimated value if you do not have an exact figure.
  • Information on any discharge (water returned) associated with the abstraction.
  • Information on any associated impoundments.
  • Information on any other authorisations related to the abstraction.
  • Information on monitoring of the abstraction.

 

Updating a water abstraction registration

For a registered abstraction, you must update the details on the register where material changes to the particulars have occurred or following a request from the EPA.  
Some material changes to an entry on the register must be done via the ‘Water Abstraction Review’ function on the EDEN portal. These changes include updating the daily rate of abstraction. Guidance on this process is available here.