Kildare County Council Reminds Water Users of Legal Requirements for Abstracting Water from Natural Sources
25 August 2026: Kildare County Council is reminding anyone abstracting water from a natural source of their legal obligations under the Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Act 2022.
Water abstraction means taking water from a natural source. This can include taking groundwater from wells, boreholes or springs, or taking surface water from rivers, streams, canals, lakes, reservoirs or estuaries. Abstraction from coastal water is not regulated under this Act and does not require registration or licensing.
Water users should be aware that:
- Water abstractions of more than 25m³ per day must be registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Water abstractions of more than 2,000m³ per day must be licensed by the EPA
Common uses of water that may require registration include agriculture, aquaculture, commercial use, drainage, drinking water, hydropower, industrial use, mining and quarrying, navigation and recreation.
Some abstractions are exempt from registration. These include domestic boreholes or wells that provide drinking water to a domestic dwelling, certain temporary abstractions to facilitate works, abstractions for testing or investigation, abstractions for firefighting, and works relating to an associated impoundment of an exempted abstraction.
How do I know if I abstract more than 25 cubic metres per day?
As a guide, 25m³ is equivalent to approximately 25,000 litres of water. Anyone unsure of the volume they abstract should review their usage or use the EPA’s abstraction volume estimator: https://www.epa.ie/publications/licensing--permitting/freshwater--marine/guidance-on-water-abstraction-registration.php
The registration and licensing thresholds set out in the legislation relate to the volume of water abstracted in any 24-hour period. The maximum volume of water abstracted in any 24-hour period, measured in m3 per day, must be declared when registering or applying for a licence. Applicants are also required to declare the total annual volume abstracted, measured in m³ per annum.
Further guidance on abstraction registration and licensing is available on the EPA website:https://www.epa.ie/our-services/licensing/freshwater--marine/water-abstraction/
Additional information is available on the National Federation of Group Water Schemes website: https://nfgws.ie/new-water-abstractions-bill-signed-into-law/
For advice or assistance, please contact the Kildare Rural Water Office on 045 980361 or email ruralwater@kildarecoco.ie.
