Data returns for abstraction licences

Most abstraction licences require the operator to submit data returns. These show the water that you have abstracted (on a daily basis) over the past year. This information is used by us in two ways. It shows whether licence conditions have been met and allows an assessment of the impact of abstractions on the water environment to be carried out. This enables better decision making about the availability of water resources in Scotland.

Further information, including the date by when you are required to submit this data can be found in your abstraction licence.

You can submit your data to us in a number of ways but we do prefer submissions to be made by email, where possible.

The options for submitting the data return form to us, are:

2011 data returns

• by email preferably using our electronic Data Returns Form 2011 in an Excel format(185kb)  ;
        

• by email using our electronic Data Returns Form 2011 in a Word format  (212k);   

• by post using our Abstraction Data Return Form  (212k).

2012 data returns

• by email preferably using our electronic Data Returns Form 2012 in an Excel format(185kb)  ;
  
• by email using our electronic Data Returns Form 2012 in a Word format (212k); 
   
• by post using our Abstraction Data Return Form  (212k).

The completed forms should be emailed to: WRDataReturns@sepa.org.uk. Alternatively, paper copies of the printed form can be posted to the address specified in your licence.

If you have any questions regarding any aspect of compliance with your licence conditions you can contact your local SEPA office.

For the avoidance of doubt, even if no water has been abstracted for any period, this information must still be reported to us (as a nil return) using one of the options mentioned above.