The Broads SAC - Sustainable Abstraction Plan
We are working to achieve sustainable levels of water abstraction within The Broads Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which will help to protect 28 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
The Environment Agency is England’s environmental regulator, and it is our duty to ensure that water supplies are sustainable for the future. The extreme weather, including drought, experienced over the last few years is an indication of the weather we can expect to happen more frequently in the future. Less groundwater recharge and larger seasonal variations in river flow, as well as changes to when and how extended dry periods occur, will affect how much water can be abstracted from groundwater and rivers. Climate change and population growth mean that if we do not act now, water demand from people, industry and agriculture will exceed water availability in many parts of the country, including East Anglia.
We also have a legal duty under The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 to protect designated sites. The Broads Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is a protected waterway system of connected rivers and nutrient lakes within areas of fen and drained marshland. Hosting 28 designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), it supports internationally protected wildlife and attracts over 8 million recreational visitors per year.
Water abstraction in East Anglia provides essential water for public water supply, agriculture and industry, but we know that too much abstraction, known as unsustainable abstraction, has a damaging impact on river flows and groundwater levels. Having the correct river flows and groundwater levels is essential to support healthy ecology, for enhancing natural resilience to drought, and ensuring that The Broads SAC continues to support wellbeing and recreation.
Malthouse Broad, part of the Bure Broads and Marshes SSSI
Our Work
We have already investigated the impact of water abstraction on four SSSIs within the Ant Valley, which is a part of The Broads SAC. Following a judicial review in 2022, we were directed to extend our investigation to include an additional 24 SSSIs in The Broads SAC. We produced The Broads SAC Sustainable Abstraction Plan to explain how we would do this.
We are now investigating all water abstraction licences within the Bure, Thurne, Yare, Waveney, Tud and part of the Wensum catchments. We have contacted all licence holders to tell them about our project and to explain that their licence might need to be changed to protect the additional 24 SSSIs.

What will the licence changes be?
We cannot confirm exactly which licences will need to be changed or what those changes might look like until we have completed our modelling assessments of current water abstraction activity, and any potential increases in abstraction that existing licences might allow in the future.
From March 2025 we will inform the licence holders whose current abstraction licence has been highlighted as being unsustainable. We will let them know if their licence is to be changed and we will discuss next steps, the timescales for changes and potential mitigation measures.
In line with our previous Ant Valley investigation, examples of the licence changes which could be required include:
reducing the daily or annual abstraction quantity
adding or increasing a ‘hands-off flow’ or ‘hands-off level’ restriction to your licence
adding a fish screen to your licence
revoking (cancelling) a licence
Our Engagement HQ page will be regularly updated with project news and documents.