Guidance

Open loop heat pump systems: apply to install one

The environmental permit, consent and licence you may need before you install a ground source or surface water source heating or cooling system.

From:
Environment Agency and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
1 February 2016
Last updated
2 October 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

You may need to get consent, a permit and a licence from the Environment Agency before you can install either:

  • an open loop ground source
  • a surface water source heating and cooling system

These systems pump water from beneath the ground or from nearby rivers, canals, lakes or the sea. They use the water to heat or cool buildings before reintroducing it to the ground or surface water.

If you want to install one of these systems, you will need:

  • groundwater investigation consent – if you’re going to drill for a ground source scheme
  • an abstraction licence – if you are taking more than 20 cubic metres per day
  • an environmental permit to discharge the water or a registered exemption from this requirement – unless you meet the criteria for a low risk activity
  • an environmental permit for flood risk activities or ordinary watercourse consent – if you’re carrying out works near a watercourse, a flood defence or a sea defence

You do not need groundwater investigation consent or an abstraction licence for a closed loop heat exchanger. But from 2 October 2023 you may need an environmental permit for the discharge. Check the guidance on closed loop schemes to find out what to do.

There’s separate guidance for deep geothermal systems.

If you want to abstract groundwater, you must apply for consent to investigate a groundwater source before you drill or test pump any abstraction boreholes. This consent allows you to find out what water is available and if it’s suitable for your needs.

You will need this consent before you can apply for an abstraction licence or environmental permit for a ground source scheme.

You must make sure boreholes, wells and excavations are designed, constructed and decommissioned in a way that prevents groundwater pollution.

If the system you want to install allows for the reversal of flow (so that the discharge point becomes a point of abstraction), you will need groundwater investigation consent for all boreholes.

Apply for an abstraction licence

You need an abstraction licence if you want to abstract (remove) more than 20 cubic metres per day from either surface water or groundwater.

If your system does not require an environmental permit for the discharge, you can apply for a separate abstraction licence using water resources application forms Part A, Part B, Part C and Part E.

If your system also requires an environmental permit for the discharge, you can apply for an environmental permit and an abstraction licence using forms:

If the system you’re installing allows for the reversal of flow (so that the discharge point becomes a point of abstraction):

  • the abstraction licence covers the abstraction requirements of all boreholes
  • you may need a permit for the discharge to all boreholes

Charges for an abstraction licence

You must pay an application charge:

  • to apply for a new licence
  • for some changes (variations) to an existing licence

You will also usually need to pay an annual charge (called a ‘subsistence’ charge) once you hold a full abstraction licence.

Use the guidance on the charges for water resources licences to work out your application charge and annual charge (where required). You may have to pay additional charges during the assessment of your application (determination) if the Environment Agency need to carry out extra work. For example, completing conservation assessments.

Ground source open loop heat pump systems: exemptions from environmental permits to discharge

You may be exempt from needing an environmental permit to discharge if you have a ground source heating and cooling system that’s any of the following:

  • a cooled aquifer system with a volume of less than 1,500 cubic metres per day
  • a balanced system with a volume of less than 430 cubic metres per day
  • a heated aquifer system with a volume of less than 215 cubic metres per day

Check the exemption form and guidance notes for more detail on these systems.

But you must register your exemption. And you must be able to meet the conditions of the exemption.

Conditions of the exemption

To be eligible for the exemption, all of the following conditions must apply.

The system:

  • will discharge water at a temperature that will not go above 25°C and will not vary by more than 10°C compared to that in the aquifer from which it was abstracted
  • is not on a known contaminated site or one where contaminating activities used to take place – contact your local council to find this out
  • will abstract and discharge within the same aquifer

The water within the system:

  • will not have anything added to it – for example additives used for descaling
  • will not be used for any other purpose

The system will not discharge water within any of the following:

  • 50 metres of a watercourse or a groundwater-fed wetland (for example site of special scientific interest) – contact the Environment Agency or your local council to find this out
  • 50 metres of any groundwater abstraction (for example borehole, well or spring) used for any purpose
  • a groundwater source protection zone 1 (SPZ1) that’s used to supply water for domestic or food production purposes

You will need to check with the owners of neighbouring properties to find out if they have a private water supply or other type of abstraction.

You need to apply for a bespoke permit if you cannot meet these conditions.

Register your exemption

Fill in the registration form following the form guidance. Send it to the address on the form.

Discharges from surface water open loop heat pump systems for a single domestic property

You do not need to apply for an environmental permit to discharge the water if:

  • you have a small surface water open loop heat pump system
  • you can comply with the conditions in this guidance

That’s because, under these specific circumstances, the Environment Agency considers it to be low risk and has created this regulatory position statement (RPS).

Activity and conditions you must comply with

This RPS covers the discharge from a small surface water open loop heat pump system provided:

  • the system is used to heat or cool a single domestic property
  • the water is abstracted from, and discharged to, the same surface water body – for example a river or stream, and not a lake or pond
  • cleaning chemicals are not discharged to the surface water
  • the property is not used for commercial purposes

If your surface water system does not meet these criteria, check if you can apply for a standard rules permit. If you cannot then you must apply for a bespoke permit.

Comply with this RPS

This RPS means that the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you have not applied for a permit, provided:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS
  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS
  • your activity does not (and is not likely to) cause environmental pollution or harm human health

When to check back

This RPS will be reviewed in February 2024.

You will need to check back then to see if the RPS still applies or if you need to apply for a permit.

Standard rules water discharge permits for surface water systems

You may be able to apply for a standard rules permit if you discharge up to 1000 cubic metres of water a day from your heat pump system to surface water.

Applying for a standard rules water discharge permit is usually quicker and may cost less than a bespoke permit.

You must be able to comply with all the conditions of the permit.

You must apply for a bespoke permit if you do not meet the conditions for the standard rules permit.

Before you apply for a standard rules water discharge permit

You need to:

Apply for a standard rules water discharge permit

Download and fill in forms:

Find out about:

Fees and charges for a standard rules water discharge permit

You must pay an application fee when you apply.

If your application is successful, you must also pay a yearly charge (known as the ‘subsistence’ fee) while you have a permit.

You may qualify for a lower yearly charge if you have a thermal heat exchanger.

Use the guidance on environmental permits: when and how you are charged to work out your:

  • application charge
  • yearly charge

You can contact the Environment Agency if you need help working out how much to pay.

When to apply for a bespoke discharge permit

You must apply for a bespoke permit for the discharge if you have an open loop:

  • ground source system that is not exempt
  • surface water system that does not meet the conditions of the regulatory position statement or the standard rules permit

Apply jointly for an environmental permit and an abstraction licence using forms:

Get advice or help with your application

If you plan to install an open loop heat pump system, you contact the Environment Agency’s:

When to apply for an environmental permit for a flood risk activity

You must apply for an environmental permit for a flood risk activity if any part of your planned scheme involves construction:

  • in, under, over or near a main river (including where the river is in a culvert)
  • on or near a flood defence on a main river or set back remotely from it
  • in the flood plain of a main river
  • on or near a sea defence

You need a permit for both permanent and temporary work. There is a fee for an application.

Use the flood map for planning to check if your activity is on or near a main river or an ordinary watercourse.

If you’re carrying out work to an ordinary watercourse rather than a main river, you do not need an environmental permit for flood risk activities. You may need to apply for a land drainage consent from either your:

Comply with your abstraction licence or environmental permit for discharge

After you’ve been granted your licence or permit, you will need to comply with their conditions.

Find out how to:

Change, transfer or cancel your licence or permit

If your circumstances or need for water changes, you can:

  • change (vary) the details on it
  • transfer it to someone else
  • cancel (surrender or revoke) it

Find out how to:

Contact the Environment Agency

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email [email protected]

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

Updates to this page

Published 1 February 2016
Last updated 2 October 2023 + show all updates

  1. Updated the guide to give the requirements that apply from 2 October 2023.

  2. Updated the 'Surface water open-loop heat pump systems for a single domestic property' section to extend the the regulatory position statement (RPS) this contains. We will next review this RPS in February 2024.

  3. Updated the fees and charges for a standard rules water discharge permit.

  4. RPS extended to December 2019.

  5. Flood defence consents are now called environmental permits for flood risk activities.

  6. First published.

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