Water Resources

Our role

We have a statutory role to secure the proper use of water resources and to allocate water for people, the economy, and the environment. We work to ensure the efficient use of water resources both now and into the future. We work with organisations including water companies, energy companies, farmers, regional water resources groups, and regulators to improve water resources planning and management to make every drop count.

Together with Ofwat, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), we regulate the water industry in England to ensure there is a secure supply of water for people and businesses while protecting and enhancing the environment. We also work closely with developed administrations and their regulator bodies – Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

On this page you will find information on:

Plans, frameworks and partnerships

(External link)

Calm water reflecting the sky alongside a stone barrier with wooden posts, under a blue sky and wispy clouds.(External link)National framework for water resources

The national framework for water resources(External link), published in 2020, sets out England’s long-term water needs, provides the framework for long term water resources planning across different sectors of use to consider how to meet their needs and protect the environment. We are working with stakeholders now to publish a new framework for 2025.





A stone ruin overlooks lush green valleys, reflecting lakes, and dramatic mountains under a brooding, cloud-filled sky.

Water resources management plans (WRMPs)

Water companies must produce statutory WRMPs every 5 years. These show how they will achieve a secure supply of water to their customers and protect and enhance the environment over a minimum 25-year period. Find out more.






A group of people in high-visibility jackets gathers by a waterway, with a jetty and cloudy sky in the background.(External link)

RAPID

Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID)(External link), is a partnership of regulators set up to identify and address issues relevant to the development of joint infrastructure projects for public water supplies and to analyse the feasibility of nationally strategic supply schemes.





Aerial view of a wastewater treatment facility with multiple circular tanks surrounded by greenery and infrastructure.(External link)

Drainage and wastewater management plans (DWMPs)

These are vital for setting out how the water industry plans to extend, improve and maintain a robust and resilient drainage and wastewater system in the face of pressures from climate change, urban development and a growing population. DWMPs(External link) became statutory for water companies on 1st September 2024. We are working with the water companies to develop the second cycle of plans. These will be available in 2027/2028 to inform water company business planning for Ofwat’s Price Review in 2029.

Water abstraction

A woman in a high-visibility jacket inspects a water outlet near a field, with an Environment Agency vehicle and wind turbines in the background.(External link)Much of our water resource management is achieved through the abstraction licence system(External link) we administer. Since the 1960’s we determine how water resources are allocated to ensure other abstractors and the environment remain protected. As we adapt to climate change and changes in our environment, we are reviewing how our licensing works to ensure those current abstractions remain sustainable both now and into the future.





A person with a checkered shirt washes their hands under a modern chrome faucet, with water flowing into a sink.(External link)Around 15 billion litres of water is abstracted each day for public water supplies. As water companies are the biggest consumptive abstractor, there is a strong regulatory focus on ensuring water companies provide a secure supply of water(External link) for people and businesses, allowing for economic growth while protecting and enhancing the environment.





Droughts

In England, the main organisations responsible for managing water resources during drought are:

  • The Environment Agency; provides strategic oversight and is responsible for monitoring, reporting, advising and acting to reduce the impact of a drought on the environment and water users
  • Water companies; responsible for managing water supply for their customers and taking a range of measures to maintain supplies whilst minimising environmental impact
  • Government; responsible for policies and legislation relating to water resources


Green grass sprouts from cracked, dry soil under a cloudy sky, with a distant fence line marking the edge of the field.(External link)Get involved - have your say

Droughts are likely to become more frequent in the future. We have launched a consultation on the changes to the guidance water companies must follow to produce their next drought plans. A six-week consultation opens on 16 December 2024, and closes on 26 January 2025, and is available for input here(External link).





Dried brown landscape with a small stream, patches of water, and distant trees, under a cloudy sky, illustrating drought effects.(External link)

Get involved - have your say

Our changing climate means we will see more extreme weather in the coming years – droughts are likely to become more frequent and more severe. The 9-week consultation opens on 8 November 2024, will close on 10 January 2025, and is available for input on Citizen Space, the Environment Agency’s consultation hub. Find out more.(External link)






Looking down into a deep, cylindrical brick well with a hint of water glimmering at the bottom and a thin rope hanging inside.Droughts are a natural event that we cannot prevent but we can take measures(External link)before and during a drought to reduce the impacts on people, businesses and the environment. There is no single definition of drought. All droughts are characterised by some degree of rainfall shortage. Each drought is different, with the nature, timing and impacts varying according to location and which sectors are affected such as public water supply, agriculture, the environment or industry.







Thank you for visiting our new water hub. This is a pilot service. We acknowledge not everything is covered here yet, this is a new offering which will grow over the coming months.

Our role

We have a statutory role to secure the proper use of water resources and to allocate water for people, the economy, and the environment. We work to ensure the efficient use of water resources both now and into the future. We work with organisations including water companies, energy companies, farmers, regional water resources groups, and regulators to improve water resources planning and management to make every drop count.

Together with Ofwat, Natural England and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), we regulate the water industry in England to ensure there is a secure supply of water for people and businesses while protecting and enhancing the environment. We also work closely with developed administrations and their regulator bodies – Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

On this page you will find information on:

Plans, frameworks and partnerships

(External link)

Calm water reflecting the sky alongside a stone barrier with wooden posts, under a blue sky and wispy clouds.(External link)National framework for water resources

The national framework for water resources(External link), published in 2020, sets out England’s long-term water needs, provides the framework for long term water resources planning across different sectors of use to consider how to meet their needs and protect the environment. We are working with stakeholders now to publish a new framework for 2025.





A stone ruin overlooks lush green valleys, reflecting lakes, and dramatic mountains under a brooding, cloud-filled sky.

Water resources management plans (WRMPs)

Water companies must produce statutory WRMPs every 5 years. These show how they will achieve a secure supply of water to their customers and protect and enhance the environment over a minimum 25-year period. Find out more.






A group of people in high-visibility jackets gathers by a waterway, with a jetty and cloudy sky in the background.(External link)

RAPID

Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID)(External link), is a partnership of regulators set up to identify and address issues relevant to the development of joint infrastructure projects for public water supplies and to analyse the feasibility of nationally strategic supply schemes.





Aerial view of a wastewater treatment facility with multiple circular tanks surrounded by greenery and infrastructure.(External link)

Drainage and wastewater management plans (DWMPs)

These are vital for setting out how the water industry plans to extend, improve and maintain a robust and resilient drainage and wastewater system in the face of pressures from climate change, urban development and a growing population. DWMPs(External link) became statutory for water companies on 1st September 2024. We are working with the water companies to develop the second cycle of plans. These will be available in 2027/2028 to inform water company business planning for Ofwat’s Price Review in 2029.

Water abstraction

A woman in a high-visibility jacket inspects a water outlet near a field, with an Environment Agency vehicle and wind turbines in the background.(External link)Much of our water resource management is achieved through the abstraction licence system(External link) we administer. Since the 1960’s we determine how water resources are allocated to ensure other abstractors and the environment remain protected. As we adapt to climate change and changes in our environment, we are reviewing how our licensing works to ensure those current abstractions remain sustainable both now and into the future.





A person with a checkered shirt washes their hands under a modern chrome faucet, with water flowing into a sink.(External link)Around 15 billion litres of water is abstracted each day for public water supplies. As water companies are the biggest consumptive abstractor, there is a strong regulatory focus on ensuring water companies provide a secure supply of water(External link) for people and businesses, allowing for economic growth while protecting and enhancing the environment.





Droughts

In England, the main organisations responsible for managing water resources during drought are:

  • The Environment Agency; provides strategic oversight and is responsible for monitoring, reporting, advising and acting to reduce the impact of a drought on the environment and water users
  • Water companies; responsible for managing water supply for their customers and taking a range of measures to maintain supplies whilst minimising environmental impact
  • Government; responsible for policies and legislation relating to water resources


Green grass sprouts from cracked, dry soil under a cloudy sky, with a distant fence line marking the edge of the field.(External link)Get involved - have your say

Droughts are likely to become more frequent in the future. We have launched a consultation on the changes to the guidance water companies must follow to produce their next drought plans. A six-week consultation opens on 16 December 2024, and closes on 26 January 2025, and is available for input here(External link).





Dried brown landscape with a small stream, patches of water, and distant trees, under a cloudy sky, illustrating drought effects.(External link)

Get involved - have your say

Our changing climate means we will see more extreme weather in the coming years – droughts are likely to become more frequent and more severe. The 9-week consultation opens on 8 November 2024, will close on 10 January 2025, and is available for input on Citizen Space, the Environment Agency’s consultation hub. Find out more.(External link)






Looking down into a deep, cylindrical brick well with a hint of water glimmering at the bottom and a thin rope hanging inside.Droughts are a natural event that we cannot prevent but we can take measures(External link)before and during a drought to reduce the impacts on people, businesses and the environment. There is no single definition of drought. All droughts are characterised by some degree of rainfall shortage. Each drought is different, with the nature, timing and impacts varying according to location and which sectors are affected such as public water supply, agriculture, the environment or industry.







Thank you for visiting our new water hub. This is a pilot service. We acknowledge not everything is covered here yet, this is a new offering which will grow over the coming months.

Page last updated: 27 Mar 2025, 05:59 PM