21 April 2009
All boreholes and wells used by homes in the Island must be registered before
30 April 2009. Registration is required even if homes are supplied by Jersey Water and the borehole or well is used only for garden watering. Businesses using up to 15 cubic meters (3300 gallons) per day from boreholes or wells also need to register.
People who have not yet registered their borehole or well are asked to contact the
Water Resources Help Desk tel: 441622 or
www.gov.je/water to obtain an application form.
Registration is free and there is no charge for using the water from a registered borehole or well. Providing accurate information by registering will help your water supply as it will enable the proper assessment of future large abstractions in the nearby area which could otherwise dry up boreholes and wells. It will also enable officers from the Environment Division to protect private water supplies in case of any nearby pollution.
It is everyone’s responsibility to protect our Island’s water resources. Registering your borehole or well will provide the vital information necessary to manage and protect this important and finite resource.
More than 1800 registration application forms have been issued and over 1400 boreholes and wells have been registered to date. However, it is anticipated that there are over 3,000 boreholes and wells used in Jersey and the majority of these will need to be registered.
The Assistant Minister for Planning and the Environment, Deputy Anne Pryke said, “The registration process will provide vital data to ensure that the Island’s water resources can be correctly managed, especially in periods of drought and times of increased demand.
The registration process is free and simple. A dedicated help desk has been provided to give people assistance.
People who have not yet registered their boreholes or wells are advised to do so for the deadline on 30 April 2009.”
Ends Notes to the Editor
Registration of boreholes and wells is required under the Water Resources (Jersey) Law 2007. The law is essential legislation for a densely populated Island community with reliance on rainfall for its water needs.
This new Law will provide for;
• the protection, management and regulation of the Island’s inland water resources.
• the protection of current and future public and private abstraction rights.
• promote the conservation of animals and plants that rely on that resource and their habitats.
• the proper allocation of water resources for the benefit of the Island’s community and environment
• ensure that sufficient water will be available for drinking, industry, agriculture and recreation.
• the development of long-term strategies to be implemented to minimise negative impacts of global warming and climate change.
The quantity of water pumped from the Island’s aquifers is presently not known. Without this information the Island’s limited water resources cannot be managed effectively leading to periods of drought situations and increases in demand having more serious consequences to Island life. The licensing and registration process enables the collection of this data.
Abstractions of more than 15 cubic metres (3300 gallons) in any 24 hour period will generally need to be licensed rather than registered. The deadline for licensing water abstractions was on 31 March 2009. However, applications are still accepted by people needing to license an abstraction.
For further information, please contact: Deputy Anne Pryke ((tel: 07797 740263)
Colin Cheney, Hydrogeologist (441602)
gov.je