Farm Business Update 2014 presentation of Anglian Water taken from the Abbots Ripton Event.

1. 1
Farming and drinking
water
Simon Eyre
Source Protection Manager
Anglian Water
Farm Business Update
19th February 2014

2. 2
Farming and drinking
water
• Water quality update
• Role for catchment approaches
• Current initiatives
• What does it mean for you?

3. 3
Water company water supply areas
Anglian Water –
• 4.3m customers
Essex & Suffolk Water –
• 1.8m customers
Affinity Water –
• 3.3m customers
Cambridge Water –
• 315,000 customers

4. 4
Water company obligations
• To supply ‘wholesome’ water
• Meet stringent drinking water
quality standards
• Find a balance of solutions for
each affected treatment works, at
a cost acceptable to customers
and economic regulator

5. 5
Where are we now?
Key water quality issues
• Pesticides – metaldehyde,
clopyralid, propyzamide,
carbetamide
• Nutrients – nitrate, phosphorus
• Sediment

6. 6
Where are we now?

7. 7
Where are we now?

8. 8
The role for catchment approaches?
• Will need to use all available options
• Treatment –
• Ion exchange (nitrate removal)
• Ozonation & Granular Activated Carbon
• Abstraction management –
• Limited scope
• Blending –
• Nitrates, pesticides
• Catchment management……….

9. 9
Abstraction management

10. 10
Current initiatives / projects
• Safeguard Zones
• Possible mitigation measures
• Risk mapping

11. 11
Safeguard Zones
• Areas where land use is known to reduce water quality
in rivers used for drinking water supply
• Actions targeted to improve water quality
• www.wiyby.co.uk
Extract from WIYBY
Abbots Ripton

12. 12
Possible mitigation measures
Cultural controls
Responsible use
Reduce usage
Reduced active ingredient formulations
Non-metaldehyde products
Biobeds
Rural SuDS Buffer strips Instream treatment
WRc report – Oct 2013

13. 13
Assess the Risk: Slug trapping
Actions for Winter OSR:
• Trap to assess slug activity just before, or after, cereal harvest
• Use trap catches, weather and cultivation data to assess slug damage risk
• Cultivate to reduce risk of slug attack
• If risk is high, broadcast slug pellets as soon as possible after drilling
• Monitor crops throughout the early susceptible growth stages
Traps key to assessing risk and
need for pellets
HGCA Topic Sheets on
Integrated Slug Control:
• Winter Wheat No.84
• Winter Oil Seed Rape No.85

14. 14
Risk mapping
• Field scale risk –
• Soil type
• Slope
• Distance from water
• Modify advice and
metaldehyde use in higher
risk areas

15. 15
What does this mean for you?
• Check if you farm in a drinking water catchment
– www.wiyby.co.uk
• Follow Tried & Tested, MSG & VI best practice advice
– www.nutrientmanagement.org www.getpelletwise.org.uk
– www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk
• Consider field by field risk on your farm –
• Test slug pressure by trapping
• High run-off risk = cracking clay soils, under-drains, sloping
fields, bordered by ditches & watercourses
• Consider additional measures in highest risk fields
• Don’t forget the farmyard
• CSF / water company adviser help available

16. 16
Any questions?
Contacts:
Anglian Water – Simon Eyre – seyre@anglianwater.co.uk
Essex & Suffolk Water – Claire Lorenc – claire.lorenc@nwl.co.uk
Affinity Water – Alister Leggatt - alister.leggatt@affinitywater.co.uk