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3.3 Abstraction and flow regulations
Many manufacturing processes such as distilling, food processing and paper & pulp production need to abstract water to produce goods. Water flow is also regulated and abstracted to supply drinking water, to produce hydropower and for navigational purposes. These types of activities may impact on the water environment. The Directive recognises that the benefits of such uses need to be retained and allows water bodies to be designated as heavily modified water bodies (HMWB) where substantial physical alterations have been made to support these uses.
Compared to many other areas of Europe, the Solway Tweed district generally has sufficient supplies of water but the demand on water supplies continues to increase. Abstractions have not yet been comprehensively regulated in Scotland. An abstraction licensing regime already operates in England. As a result, limited quantitative information is available for the Scottish area of the Solway Tweed and the risk assessment has relied to a large extent on predicted impacts from water abstraction or flow regulation. Better information is available in the English area (see below).
Figure 7 and Table 11 below show the distribution of pressures caused by abstraction and flow regulation for all water bodies at risk.
Table 11 Abstraction and flow risk sectors
| Main Industrial Groups |
Abstraction |
Number of Pressures Flow Regulation |
Total |
| Energy and Water |
47 |
48 |
95 |
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing |
18 |
2 |
20 |
| Not identified |
0 |
11 |
11 |
| Manufacturing |
5 |
0 |
5 |
| Other |
3 |
1 |
4 |
| Mining and Quarrying |
3 |
0 |
3 |
| Construction |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Sewage and Refuse Disposal |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Transport and Communications |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
76 |
62 |
138 |
Figure 7 Abstraction and flow risk sectors
Table 12 below shows abstractions in Solway Tweed within the English area of the river basin district. In the English part as in the Scottish part, public water supply is a major source of abstractions, agriculture, mining and quarrying and manufacturing also feature.
Table 12 Solway Tweed RBD Abstractions (English Area)
| SIC Section |
Abstraction Source |
Additional Information |
Volume Abstracted (Ml/d)* |
| E41.00 |
Collection, purification and distribution of water |
Public Water Supply (total abstracted) |
293.70 |
| D |
Manufacturing |
General Industry (Manufacturing) |
11.42 |
| A01 |
Growing of crops; market gardening; horticulture: Farming of animals |
Spray Irrigation included |
9.57 |
| O92 |
Recreational, cultural and sporting activities |
Recreation (including sports) |
0.30 |
| C |
Mining and quarrying |
Mining & Aggregates |
0.16 |
| P |
Private households with employed persons |
Other Potable Uses |
0.04 |
The following table illustrates (where data are available) three measures for each sector. Output (in value added terms for 2002) has been estimated by Experian Business Limited, and is specific to Solway Tweed. Estimates for the value and volume of water use cover the whole of Scotland and therefore there is only an indirect link between the economic data and the water use information.
Table 13 Contribution to the Solway Tweed economy and value/volume of water use in sectors connected with abstraction and flow regulation
| Abstraction & Flow Regulation Sector |
GVA 200141 |
Sub sector |
Value of use42 p/m3 |
Volume of use43 million m3/year |
Agriculture, Forestry
and Fishing |
£98.6m |
Agriculture |
23-138 irrigation benefits |
56.5 |
| Fishing £34.6m |
Aquaculture |
only 0.011 to 0.126 |
1,582 |
| Manufacturing |
Food & Drink £360.1m |
Food Processing Including Whisky and soft drinks |
12.5 food
21 beverage |
260 |
| £192.8m |
Textiles |
4 |
1.8 |
| £5.6m |
Paper & Pulp |
16 |
87.7 |
| Energy and water supply |
Coke/ refining/ £0.3m nuclear |
Oil |
15 refined petroleum and coal |
15 |
| Production and distribution of electricity. £71.8m |
Electricity Hydro |
0.00 to 0.8244 |
Est total throough put 23,755
Est storage 3,355 |
| Production and distribution of electricity. £71.8m |
Electricity non-hydro |
n/a |
Mains 6
Fresh 5
Sea 3,772
Total 3,783 |
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Water Supply |
£13.1m |
n/a |
876 (Scotland)
293.7Ml/d (England) |
From this table it is clear that the volumes are considerable and that as a consequence of this, the per cubic metre value is low. Given the differing methodologies adopted (as a result of data limitations) it is not meaningful to attempt to work out a sector ‘total’ value of water use figure.
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