The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: Houston, WeHaveAProblem on September 20, 2018, 09:54:16 pm

Title: Gtting permission to use water from the burn
Post by: Houston, WeHaveAProblem on September 20, 2018, 09:54:16 pm

I have a field that runs down the side of a burn.

I want to get water from the burn so i can put livestock in it - i'm nowhere close to mains water.

Who do i speak to to get permission and what permissions and equipment do i need to do it? The field is in the Scottish Borders.

thanks

Title: Re: Gtting permission to use water from the burn
Post by: landroverroy on September 21, 2018, 10:56:10 am

Just do it. You wouldn't need to ask permission if your animals were drinking directly from the burn.

Title: Re: Gtting permission to use water from the burn
Post by: bj_cardiff on September 21, 2018, 10:58:45 am

I'm not quite sure how your thinking of getting water from the burn to the field? As long as its relativey low impact and doesn't involve daming or diverting the burn I would just do it, as soon as you start asking questions you'll hit a tonne of expense and red tape..

Title: Re: Gtting permission to use water from the burn
Post by: Backinwellies on September 22, 2018, 08:14:36 am

If it involves pumping I guess you would have to seek permission ?

Title: Re: Gtting permission to use water from the burn
Post by: mab on September 22, 2018, 09:53:49 am

A few years ago I was asking the environment agency about using water for a micro-hydro project and they told me I could abstract up to 20,000 litres a day without any licenses/permits, but above that I'd need licenses both to take the water from the stream and to put it back in again lower down. So unless you have a lot of thirsty cattle I think you'll be fine.

Title: Re: Gtting permission to use water from the burn
Post by: oor wullie on September 22, 2018, 07:09:54 pm

Regulated by SEPA.

Covered by General binding rules which means you don't need permission for under 10m3 per day.  Filling animal water troughs us assumed to be under this limit.

Title: Re: Gtting permission to use water from the burn
Post by: Scotsdumpy on September 26, 2018, 04:04:30 pm

I think sepa would be more worried (if they ever found out) that your beasts were drinking from the burn directly as they cause damage to the banks. You would have to find out for sure but one of our neighbours fell foul with them as his animals were drinking from a spring that rose into one of his parks. They threatened him with taking his subsidy off him - well, a proportion anyway.