Money-saving deals offered to water users

Farmers and other abstraction licence holders are being reminded that they can save themselves money if they do not need to take water next year.


The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is waiving annual subsistence charges for licence holders who will not need to abstract water between April 2009 and March 2010.

But licence holders only have until the end of February 2009 to notify the watchdog that they will not need water if they want to take advantage of the money-saving offer.

David Harley of SEPA said: “This is good news for abstraction licence holders and particularly for farmers who have decided not to grow certain crops that may require irrigation in a particular year.”

The reminder has come just days after SEPA published its 10-point action plan to support economic activity.

This includes waiving licence application fees for the rest of 2008-09 – a move which has already come into force.

Individuals and organisations with licences covering multiple abstraction locations who are not planning to abstract water at some locations could also be eligible for a reduction in their annual subsistence charges.

But they must be able to show that the total daily volume of water they are abstracting is lower than they are currently being billed for.

More information and application forms for exemptions can be found here.

Kate Martin

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