The restriction on abstraction shall not apply to any abstraction by machinery or apparatus installed on a vessel, where the water is abstracted for use on that, or any other, vessel.
The restriction on abstraction and the other restrictions imposed by section 24 above shall not apply to the doing of anything—
for extinguishing fires or protecting life and property in the event of fire; or
for the purpose of testing apparatus used for either of those purposes or of training or practice in the use of such apparatus.
The restriction on abstraction and the other restrictions imposed by section 24 above shall not apply—
to any abstraction of water;
to the construction or extension of any well, borehole or other work; or
to the installation or modification of machinery or other apparatus,
if the abstraction, construction, extension, installation or modification is for any of the purposes specified in subsection (4) below and takes place with the consent of the appropriate agency and in compliance with any conditions imposed by the appropriate agency.
The purposes mentioned in subsection (3) above are—
the purpose of ascertaining the presence of water in any underground strata or the quality or quantity of any such water; and
the purpose of ascertaining the effect of abstracting water from the well, borehole or other work in question on the abstraction of water from, or the level of water in, any other well, borehole or other work or any inland waters.