Agricultural water use in Eastern England
Water is vital to the delivery of the high quality fresh produce grown in Eastern England. The region produces 43% of the UK’s field vegetable crops, approximately 80% of the sugar beet and 30% of the potatoes (Agricultural land use in the UK, GOV.UK). All of these crops will typically rely on irrigation at some point during their growing to ensure the quality and yield of the produce.
Beyond this, water is also essential for livestock production (with a focus on pigs and poultry in Eastern England) and through the supply chain with the agri-food industry in Eastern England including food processors and packers.
The UK Irrigation Association (UKIA) notes that most water used for irrigation is currently abstracted from surface water (52%) and groundwater (41%), with the final 7% provided by public water supply and rainwater harvesting. This abstraction is also seasonally focussed, with the majority (68%) occurring between June and August and the remainder (32%) abstracted over the winter and used to fill reservoirs for irrigation the following summer.
Water resilience in agriculture is growing increasingly important, with recent droughts leading to abstraction restrictions, climate change likely to increase the demand for water and change the pattern of availability, growth ambitions for the sector and the important of the ability to provide British grown produce and sustainable abstraction reviews and environmental destination ambitions, looking to retain more water in the environment.
WRE, through its work, is actively supporting the sector in understanding its current water use, planning for future demands, considering efficiencies in current practice and identifying solutions for future on-farm resilience.
Agricultural water resource planning
How much water do you need for your business? It is likely that you have an innate understanding of this question for your business, related to your cropping plans, water available through abstraction licences, storage reservoirs, rainwater harvesting and more.
However, does this understanding take into account situations such as extended prolonged dry weather, multi-year droughts, climate change impacts in the future, abstraction licence reform and environmental destination requirements?
It is important that agricultural and horticultural businesses are considering water resource management planning, both in the short and long term.
There are templates that can be used to support this planning, which are included below:
NIEA How to calculate water usage on farms – useful for the livestock sector
British Columbia – Water management plan checklist
Reference Guide, including irrigation system water use check templates
You may also be able to access support through your local Water Abstractor Group (details listed below).
When carrying out water resource management planning, it is important to consider both current requirements and future changes for our sector. Key considerations in this area include:
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Abstraction licence reform:
A number of reforms are planned to take place, which may affect abstraction licences over the coming years:- Restoring sustainable abstraction programme – current reviews are taking place in specific protected areas, for example in the Broads SAC, further details can be found here.
- Abstraction Permit Reviews – reviews for abstraction licences are due to take place between 2028 – 2035, based on the CAMS Common End Dates. These will look at meeting current environmental needs and may involve changes to licence limits or conditions to achieve sustainable abstraction.
- Environmental destination – Environmental destination takes a long-term view (current, 2050, 2080) to identify where and by how much abstraction might need to change or options be put in place to achieve a healthy water environment in the future. Further details can be found on the Environment Agency or WRE websites through the links provided.
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Prolonged dry weather/drought:
Recent years have seen an increasing incidence of prolonged dry weather/drought in the Eastern region. This has included the introduction of cessation conditions, hands off flow coming into play for longer periods and wider restrictions. It is encouraged to sign-up for the water situation reports and irrigation prospects reports, both issued by the Environment Agency.
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Future climate change impacts:
Our weather is predicted to become more intense, with drier summers and wetter winters. How will this impact on your ability to abstract or irrigate? It is worth considering this in the short and long-term.
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When planning future water resources for your business, it is important to have taken all of these aspects into consideration. For further information on any of the above, please get in touch with Teresa Meadows.
Agricultural water resource needs in regional planning
As the local regional group for Eastern England, WRE’s role is to bring current and future water resource needs from all sectors together, to ensure a sustainable supply of water for all sectors across the region.
In order to do this, agricultural water resource needs formed a part of the First Regional Plan, produced in 2023, and will feed into the Second Regional Plan, due in 2029, with an increased level of detail.
It is important for agricultural water resource needs to be accurately accounted for and reflected in the regional planning process and WRE is working closely with abstractors and abstractor groups to enable this to take place.
For more information about the regional planning process, click here.
To discuss ways you can get involved or feed into the regional planning process, please contact Teresa Meadows.
Water Abstractor Groups
Water Abstractor Groups or WAG’s are typically groups of abstractors that come together to collaborate in local water resource planning, abstraction management, policy and wider initiatives.
WRE works closely with Water Abstractor Groups in the region to inform regional planning and to support evidence and options development, for example, with the groups.
Information and links to the WAG’s in our region is detailed below:
- East Suffolk Water Abstractors Group (ESWAG) – led by John Patrick
- Idle and Torne Abstractors – led by Anthony Hopkins and Richard Thomas
- Lincoln Water Transfer – led by Tim Harper
- Mid-Wissey group – led by James Webb
- Norfolk Environment Food and Farming (NEFF) – led by Steve Moncaster
- River Lark Abstractors Group – led by Lindsay Hargreaves
- South Forty Foot Water Bank – led by David Matthews
- South Level group – led by Tim Young
- Thet Abstractors Group – led by Will Jolly
If you are interested in setting up a WAG in your area – the following are very helpful resources:
Thinking about setting up a Water Abstractor Group?
Starting a Water Abstractor Group
For further information or contact details for these groups, please contact Teresa Meadows (teresameadows@wre.org.uk).
Water efficiency
Efficiencies in water use within the agricultural sector continually increase, thanks to investment in technologies, understanding and operations.
Water use efficiency not only has financial business benefits, but makes best use of abstracted/collected water and protects the environment.
Efficient water use in agriculture can take many forms, these include:
- Use of accurate/precision irrigation systems
- Use of sensors for a variety of areas, eg. soil, pressure, metering, weather
- Irrigation scheduling and monitoring
- Detecting leaks in the pipelines and infrastructure
Further information on water efficiency can be found at the links below:
Future on-farm requirements
Water resources on-farm or shared resources are going to become increasingly important to provide resilience for a farm business to meet current cropping demands, within year and across multiple years.
To support this, there are a number of opportunities:
Local Resource Option (LRO) studies
LRO studies, led by the Environment Agency, bring together a small group of farms to assess their current and future water needs. With support from water resource consultants, groups explore a range of water management options tailored to their area, whether that could mean expanding reservoir storage, capturing high-flow water, recycling treated effluent, or working together to share existing resources more efficiently.
The WRE region has benefitted from 19 LRO studies to-date, predominantly with agricultural abstractor groups. Case studies from these groups can be read for the following areas at the link here:
- Downham Market, Nar, River Lark, River Roding, Thet and Weeley Heath.
Would you be interested in taking part in an LRO study in your area? If so, please get in touch with Teresa Meadows (teresameadows@wre.org.uk).
WRE Call for Options
Do you have a project or idea that could result in future water resource availability – either for your business or for another abstractor? If so, we would be interested to hear it!
WRE is collecting ideas of future water resource solutions, large or small and at early concept stage to more formally developed, from across the region.
For more information or to submit your option, please visit here.
Irrigation Reservoir Guidance
On-farm reservoirs provide a key water resource for agriculture, through water storage. These reservoirs are typically filled over-winter with abstracted river water at high flows and then used for irrigation through the growing season.
On-farm reservoirs provide resilience to farm businesses through water storage and will become increasingly important in the future with the effects of climate change and abstraction licence reform.
To support planning, development, economic analysis and information for on-farm reservoir construction, please see the details in the Planning Farm Reservoirs booklet, updated in April 2026. This booklet includes case studies from the Fens and Eastern England.
A separate, more tailored version of this reservoir guide is also available for the Essex and Suffolk National Landscapes area.
Funding
Large-scale funding opportunities are not currently open for initiatives, such as reservoir investment. However, there are a number of opportunities available for schemes to support water infrastructure on-farm across the region:
- Agri water management grants (Cambridgeshire only) – Coming Spring 2026
- Water Efficiency: Cambridgeshire Fund (Cambridge water resource zone only) – Currently open
- Farming Equipment and Technology Fund – Currently open
- Water Management Grants – Currently closed
The Government’s general ‘Funding for farmers, growers and land managers’ site is also a useful location to keep an eye on current funding opportunities.
Research
There are a number of organisations and individuals working on water resource management trials and initiatives, to further knowledge in this important area. A selection of relevant projects and activities, both current and completed are included in the table below, with links to webpages for further details:
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Read more here
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<figure class=”wp-block-table is-style-stripes”><table class=”has-fixed-layout”><tbody><tr><td><strong>Project title</strong></td><td><strong>Project description</strong></td><td><strong>Organisations</strong></td><td><strong>Project lead</strong></td><td><strong>Project delivery</strong></td></tr><tr><td colspan=”5″><mark style=”background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)” class=”has-inline-color has-primary-color”>CURRENT RESEARCH</mark></td></tr><tr><td><strong><a href=”https://wre.org.uk/smart-agri-abstraction-trial/”>Smart agri-abstraction trial</a></strong><strong></strong></td><td>Enabling real-time dynamic abstraction managementto improve availability of water to abstractors and the environment. </td><td>Water Resources East, MHCLG, Defra, Environment Agency, CatchmentAI, Cranfield University, Kisters, Faulkner & Mayne Sustainable Agriculture, Oakbank, RST Irrigation</td><td>Teresa Meadows</td><td>2025 – 2027</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Smart irrigation of potatoes and onions</strong></td><td>Smart variable rate irrigation of potatoes and onions </td><td>ARC, Elveden Estate, Waldersey Farms, Scienti-Ag, WRE, ADOPT</td><td>Daniel Kindred</td><td>2026 – 2028</td></tr><tr><td><strong><a href=”https://www.highlow-flows.co.uk/”>Monitoring and modelling low and high flows to improve water resources management in agriculture</a></strong></td><td> Practical demonstration of how wireless sensors can provide near real-time data streams to support more integrated approaches to agricultural water resources management, with a focus on improved abstraction control and storage in the IDB Strine</td><td> Cranfield University, IDB Strine, Harper Adams University, Kisters, River Severn Partnership</td><td> Jerry Knox</td><td> 2024 – Ongoing</td></tr><tr><td><strong><a href=”https://www.ukia.org/smart-awrm/”>Demonstrating advanced wireless sensor monitoring for precision irrigation management in horticulture</a></strong></td><td>Using an irrigation management information system (IMIS) to integrate sensors including climate, soil moisture, irrigation and crop health</td><td>Cranfield University, Universidad d Cordoba, PDM, UKIA, River Severn Partnership</td><td>Jerry Knox</td><td>2024 – Ongoing</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Hugh Crane Water Resources Investigation</strong><strong></strong></td><td>Increased data and understanding to ensure water abstraction does not impact Upton Broad SSSI, efficient water use with optimum irrigation timing and avoiding crop run-off.</td><td>NEFF, Kisters, Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL)</td><td>Steve Moncaster</td><td>2025 – Ongoing</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Game Theory</strong><strong></strong></td><td>Using Game Theory to address water resources management and planning problems in England </td><td>Kingston University</td><td>Silvia Padula</td><td>2025 – Ongoing</td></tr><tr><td><strong><a href=”https://wre.org.uk/nbs-field-trials-in-the-upper-cam-valley/”>NbS water resources research programme</a></strong></td><td>Aiming to demonstrate the efficacy of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in tackling water security challenges through designing, constructing, and monitoring runoff attenuation features (RAFs) to improve aquifer recharge, enhance baseflows, and increase water availability.</td><td>Water Resources East</td><td>Julia Beeden</td><td>2024 – Ongoing</td></tr><tr><td colspan=”5″><strong>PREVIOUS RESEARCH</strong><strong></strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Improving irrigation efficiency: Raingun performance in field scale vegetable production</strong></td><td>An integrated approach to model the spatial and temporal impacts of a range of raingun equipment and management strategies on irrigation non-uniformity on the yield and quality of a vegetable crop grown in the UK.</td><td>Cranfield University</td><td>Timothy Lacey</td><td>2006</td></tr><tr><td><strong><a href=”https://projectbluearchive.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Horticulture/FV%20363%20Final%20Report%202014.pdf”>Developing an intelligent overhead irrigation system for high quality horticultural field crops</a></strong><strong></strong></td><td>Evaluate precision irrigation technologies to reduce water and energy consumption and improve productivity in UK horticultural cropping, including suitability of soil moisture sensing for precision irrigation scheduling, soil moisture variability linked to irrigation stress, variable rate irrigation systems and testing irrigation management systems</td><td>Cranfield University, Harper Adams University, Lancaster University</td><td>Jerry Knox</td><td>2014</td></tr><tr><td><strong><a href=”https://www.ukia.org/docs/booklets/irrigation-strategy-2020.pdf”>Irrigation water strategy for UK agriculture and horticulture</a></strong><strong></strong></td><td>A strategy to ensure that irrigated agriculture receives a fair share of the nation’s water resources and uses it in a sustainable and efficient way.</td><td>UKIA</td><td>Jerry Knox</td><td>2020</td></tr><tr><td><strong><a href=”https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/server/api/core/bitstreams/0ecdb056-65f8-4fa0-8228-e4b0cad27584/content”>Evaluating the feasibility of water sharing as a drought risk management tool for irrigated agriculture</a></strong><strong></strong></td><td>Assesses how the potential benefits of water sharing to reduce water resources risks in agriculture are affected by both drought severity and the spatial scale of water-sharing agreements</td><td>Cranfield University</td><td>Rishma Chengot</td><td>2021</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Supporting collaboration through development of an innovative water sharing tool for irrigated agriculture</strong></td><td>Investigation into the potential for facilitating water sharing between abstractors through the use of a web-based portal</td><td>Cranfield University, Lindsay Hargreaves, UKRI</td><td>Lindsay Hargreaves</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Integrating biophysical and hydraulic models to assess the agronomic and environmental impacts of precision irrigation</strong></td><td>The chapter reviews current approaches to spatially simulating crop growth in-field, and the challenges of integrating biophysical and ballistics-based water distribution models to quantify the impacts of precision irrigation interventions.</td><td>Cranfield University</td><td>Andre Daccache</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Smart farming & smart metering in irrigated agriculture in UK</strong> <strong> </strong></td><td>An overview of smart technology projects in agriculture in the UK and globally.</td><td>Environment Agency</td><td>Saranya Vallipuram</td><td>2024</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Agriculture Supply Demand Balance</strong></td><td>To provide an understanding of the current and future supply surplus or deficit in catchments from an agricultural sector perspective.</td><td>Environment Agency</td><td>Mima Boardman</td><td>2024 – 2025</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Satellite Applications Catapult</strong></td><td>Exploring the potential to link space and remote sensing technologies to real world challenges, with a focus in Eastern England on the need for improved real time management of water flow and water on farmland</td><td>UK-ACE Connected Capability Network (CCN)</td><td>Martin Collison</td><td>2025</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>
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Do you have a research project or trial that you would like included here? Please send details through to Teresa Meadows.
Case Studies
There are a number of examples of best practice for water abstraction and use for agriculture across the region. Some have been identified in other sections above, for example under research. Wider examples and case studies are highlighted below:
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Felixstowe Hydrocycle
Felixstowe Hydrocycle is an innovative water resources solutions project, working with farmers and regulators to capture and make use of freshwater locally by pumping for on-farm reservoir re-fill before the water flows out to sea. This project also includes a managed aquifer recharge trial.
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Local Resource Option (LRO) studies
LRO studies bring together a group of farmers or abstractors to consider current and future water needs and options to be able to meet those needs. These case studies highlight the outcomes from some of these studies, including use of high flow water, water sharing and trading, water recycling, managed aquifer recharge and more. Case studies from the region include the Thet (Case Study 1), Roding (3), Nar (4), Weeley Heath (5), Lark (6) and Downham Market (7).
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Farmer shared irrigation reservoir
In Norfolk, six farmers collaborated to deliver a £1.1m shared irrigation reservoir, securing long-term water supplies in response to abstraction licence reductions and increasing climate pressures.
This project highlights the power of partnership in building water resilience, demonstrating how shared infrastructure and winter water storage can safeguard high-value crops and future-proof farm businesses.
Key WRE contact
Teresa Meadows leads on agricultural engagement and support for Water Resources East. If you would like further information on any of the projects or activities listed above, would like a presentation or talk at your local event or further information on getting involved in regional planning, please do get in touch: teresameadows@wre.org.uk / 07701 213767.
Wider links
Further relevant information can be found through the following pages and organisations:
- BASIS Soil and Water Management Certificate
- ESWAG and NEFF Value of Water report
- Environment Agency Water Hub
- Environment Agency Regulatory Position Statement 300 – to abstract water in high flow conditions
- National Farmers Union
- National Framework for Water Resources
- Savills Spotlight: Water
- The Growing Voice
- The Land App Wet Landscapes data
- UK Irrigation Association (UKIA)
- Water for Food Group
- WRE Drought Group
- Water Resources West – Agriculture
© Photo credits to: Bob Hillier at The Growing Voice
