well

[johnny.5]

do you own the water in your own well ?

[themas]

I suspect you may need a licence to extract water - either from the Environment Agency or from the local Water Company. This is the case with commercial uses of the water, but it may be different if it is just for domestic use.

[Whickerman]

Seem to remember that the water companies own all water that falls in their areas...? Even the contents of rain butts?

[Skyline D]

Mmm, I remember back in a drought of the early 80's when there was a hosepipe ban in force where we are my dad opened up an old well on our property and used water from there to water his garden. Someone reported him as they thought he was flouting the hosepipe ban, the water company came round and checked and told him he was fine and perfectly at liberty to use the water in his own well to water his garden.

However, this was over 25 years ago and in Scotland (and I suppose Scots Law may be different anyway).

[johnny.5]

thank you all but like whickerman i remember hearing that the water companies own all the water too

[buildersmate]

I know a few people with boreholes under their land from which they extract their domestic water - they don't pay anything to the water company operating in their region. But this could be a historical use thing - a new application could be a different matter. Certainly commercial and agriculture uses require an extraction licence.

[sprayer]

I can remember some years ago in the last drought
I istalled 2 water butts on my house to water the garden with
then some nice kind neighbour reported it next thing I know I had a visit from Anglian water telling me I would need a licence to collect rain water as it belonged to them...

[trevt0m]

so if you **** in your garden it belongs to the water board dont think so lol