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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Environment Agency has taken steps to ensure reservoirs can be filled during periods of heavy rain.

Reservoir licence holders can usually start abstracting when river flows reach a ‘hands off flow’ threshold designed to protect the river during dry periods. This year has been particularly wet, so flow thresholds were reached early and most abstractors have been able to fill their reservoirs. Some water companies, however, manage their reservoirs so they can capture excess water during flood periods. They may also reduce or cease pumping during floods when water quality is poor.

Historically, agricultural reservoir licences allow abstraction during the winter months only (November to March). This is usually sufficient, but if farmers feel that they would benefit from a longer abstraction season or higher pumping rates then the EA would welcome applications to vary their licences.

During the recent floods caused by Storm Babet, the EA allowed several farmers who had made requests to fill their reservoirs early, to take water before their licenced abstraction season had started. The EA is currently working on a Regulatory Position Statement to formalise this position.

We are also taking the following measures to support the development of new reservoirs to capture high-flow water after heavy rainfall.

1. Defra has run two rounds of funding for on-farm storage reservoirs and is currently planning a third.
2. Government is funding a project to develop innovative Local Resource Options, like Felixstowe Hydrocycle, with a pilot planned for delivery in the spring.
3. The EA has introduced ‘Water Abstraction e Alerts’ which helps abstractors capture high-flow water by sending them an email when thresholds are reached.