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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of fresh water depletion from England’s aquifers (a) in 2022 and (b) the last ten years.

The Environment Agency (EA) undertakes an assessment of groundwater resources as part of the six year cycle of River Basin Management Planning process. Groundwater bodies need to meet the four quantitative tests that aim to protect surface water flows, groundwater levels, spring discharges and water quality. The assessment also includes a groundwater balance with consideration to amount of recharge, how much is needed to support rivers and the impact from groundwater abstraction. The EA has been assessing groundwater bodies in this way since 2009 and the last reported assessment was carried out in 2019.

Assessment shows groundwater abstraction in 73% of groundwater bodies is sustainable and there is enough water to protect the environment, providing good support to fish and other aquatic life.