Agricultural water management is no longer only about what a business needs today. It is increasingly about ensuring the operation has the resilience to meet its water requirements in the years ahead.
Water Resources East highlights changing rainfall patterns, more frequent drought conditions, increasing demand and the need to retain more water within the environment as important considerations for agricultural water planning. For farms dependent on irrigation and abstraction, this makes understanding future requirements particularly important.
For agricultural businesses, this raises a bigger question: do you have a water strategy that is fit for the future?
Is Efficiency The Answer For Agricultural Businesses?
Efficiency is part of the answer. Smarter irrigation, sensors, metering, monitoring and leak detection can help businesses understand consumption and make better use of the water available.
But resilience may also require looking beyond consumption. Rainwater harvesting, winter abstraction and reservoir storage, water reuse and shared water-resource solutions could all play a role, depending on the operation.
The Regulatory Picture Matters Too.
The Environment Agency’s guidance on GOV.UK sets out abstraction licensing requirements in England, while Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland and DAERA/NIEA in Northern Ireland oversee water abstraction within their respective nations. These frameworks reinforce the importance of understanding where water comes from, how it is used and the risks around future availability.
What Is Water Abstraction?
Water abstraction simply means taking water from a natural source for use by a business.
For example, a farm might abstract water from a river, stream, lake, spring or underground source such as a borehole, then use that water for crop irrigation, livestock, cleaning or other agricultural activities – rather than via the mains.
In England, abstraction is regulated by the Environment Agency, and in many circumstances taking more than 20 cubic metres (20,000 litres) per day requires an abstraction licence.
This is why water should increasingly be treated as a strategic business resource, rather than simply another utility bill.
A good water strategy starts with the fundamentals: what are you using, where is it coming from, what are you paying, and where are the risks, inefficiencies and opportunities?
How Can A Business Water Broker Add Value?
By bringing together water costs, consumption data, supply arrangements and longer-term requirements, a broker can help agricultural businesses build a clearer picture of their water position and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, manage costs and strengthen resilience.
The businesses that plan ahead will be better placed to respond as pressures on water evolve.
The question is no longer simply what your water costs today. It is whether you have a water strategy for tomorrow.