The Water Resources South East (WRSE) plan will address resilience of water resources for different sectors including agriculture, power, industry and the public water supply.
In order to develop a coordinated plan which includes schemes from across these sectors, WRSE would like to hear examples from farmers and growers about:
- The problems that NFU members are facing with regards to water
- Your future needs for water
- Your potential interest in sharing or trading surplus water
- Schemes to address water scarcity that you are already planning or are under development.
Understanding constraints on water use
WRSE wants to include a baseline understanding of water use in agriculture and horticulture in its draft regional plan. They would therefore like to know where, and what type of, constraints in the availability of groundwater and surface water exist.
Are there locations that experience routine problems? For example the frequent triggering of Hands off Flow constraints on abstraction licences? Does a local lack of water that mean you can’t always abstract up to your licensed volume? Do you face other constraints in your access to water?
Water offers and demands
WRSE wants to better understand the future potential for water trading and sharing. Do you need to increase your water use? If so, is your need to expand your business, reduce your vulnerability to droughts, or both? Do you have ‘spare’ water available that may be of use to others?
WRSE would like to map sites of water need and surplus and explore how to enhance collective water availability through sharing or trading arrangements.
Schemes for potential development
WRSE wants to know about emerging schemes in agriculture and horticulture and support their inclusion in its multi-sector resilience planning process. In particular WRSE is interested in schemes for water storage, rainwater harvesting, water efficiency, water trading, water sharing and combined schemes for water resource management and flood storage.
To register your interest in these issues with WRSE
Please complete this online form to register water demands, water offers and details of water schemes
Alternatively, to register your interest in the above and to comment on local constraints on water use please email Y29udGFjdEB3cnNlLm9yZy51aw==