Collection

Groundwater protection

Groundwater protection guides covering: requirements, permissions, risk assessments and controls (previously covered in GP3).

• From: Environment Agency and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 14 March 2017
• Last updated: 7 November 2024 — See all updates

Documents

• Protect groundwater and prevent groundwater pollution
  • 17 July 2025
  • Guidance
• Groundwater protection technical guidance
  • 14 March 2017
  • Guidance
• Groundwater protection position statements
  • 2 October 2023
  • Guidance
• Land contamination groundwater compliance points: quantitative risk assessments
  • 14 March 2017
  • Guidance
• Sheep dip: groundwater protection code
  • 8 February 2023
  • Guidance
• Prevent groundwater pollution from solvents
  • 11 February 2016
  • Guidance
• Protecting our water, soil and air
  • 27 July 2018
  • Guidance

Groundwater: environmental permitting

• Discharges to surface water and groundwater: environmental permits
  • 30 September 2024
  • Guidance
• Groundwater activity exclusions from environmental permits
  • 5 August 2021
  • Guidance
• Tracer tests and remediation schemes: environmental permit exemption
  • 15 December 2023
  • Guidance
• Groundwater risk assessment for your environmental permit
  • 3 April 2018
  • Guidance
• Infiltration systems: groundwater risk assessments
  • 25 November 2020
  • Guidance
• H1 annex J5: infiltration worksheet
  • 15 February 2022
  • Guidance
• Environmental permitting: groundwater activities in Wales
  • 8 April 2025
  • Guidance
• Open loop heat pump systems: apply to install one
  • 2 October 2023
  • Guidance
• Closed loop ground source heating and cooling systems: when you need a permit
  • 25 June 2025
  • Guidance
• Closed loop ground source heating and cooling systems: exemption conditions
  • 30 September 2024
  • Guidance
• Discharge of heat to ground from a single closed loop ground source heating and cooling system supplying residential premises: RPS 307
  • 30 September 2024
  • Guidance

Groundwater: cemeteries and burials

• Protecting groundwater from human burials
  • 25 June 2025
  • Guidance
• Low environmental risk cemeteries: exemption conditions
  • 2 October 2023
  • Guidance
• Cemeteries and burials: groundwater risk assessments
  • 2 October 2023
  • Guidance

Published 14 March 2017

Last updated 7 November 2024 + show all updates

1. 7 November 2024

   Added a link to 'Discharge of heat to ground from a single closed loop ground source heating and cooling system supplying residential premises: RPS 307'.

2. 2 October 2023

   Added links to 'Low environmental risk cemeteries: exemption conditions', 'Closed loop ground source heating and cooling systems: when you need a permit' and 'Closed loop ground source heating and cooling systems: exemption conditions'.

3. 14 March 2017

   First published.