Two studies and a third from Northumberland who are offering small grants for farmers illustrate what a key leadership role the Water Companies can provide. Proactive – reactive, leadership – no leadership, ambition – no ambition, front foot – back foot …. Three examples of being on the right side of these couplets.

Anglian Water; UK’s largest metaldehyde-free farming trial reveals valuable results

The first year of the UK’s largest ever metaldehyde-free farming trial has seen a 60% drop in levels of the chemical detected in reservoir tributaries.

Farmers within the natural catchments of six reservoirs in Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire have been working with Anglian Water’s team of advisors over the past year on the Slug It Out campaign. The area covers more than 7,000 hectares and as part of the campaign all farmers have agreed to use alternatives to metaldehyde to control slugs on their land.

The trial was launched to look at how levels of metaldehyde in rivers and reservoirs could be brought below the strict European standard of 0.1 micrograms per litre (or parts per billion) in treated water. This is the same as one drop in an Olympic sized swimming pool. In the past, levels in reservoirs in our region regularly exceed this and removing metaldehyde through treatment is currently not possible. It is not harmful to humans at current levels.

The first year of the trial saw 89 farmers signing up to take part – a 100% uptake. The trial area covered 7,679 hectares and an estimated 1,613 kg of metaldehyde was removed from the farmed landscape. To read more click here.

Welsh Water continues partnership to protect water sources from grassland herbicides

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has confirmed that its innovative Weed Wiper campaign will run for a second year after its success in protecting local drinking water sources from grassland herbicides.

During the summer of 2015, the non-for-profit company worked with farmers and land managers to look to other ways to control grassland weeds while minimising the impact on watercourses, such as the River Teifi and Upper River Wye catchment areas. Welsh Water plans to build on the success by continuing the trial in the existing target areas in between April and October 2016. By continuing to work in partnership with its regulator Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the farming industry, the water company is aiming to use the innovative campaign to reduce levels of the grassland herbicide, MCPA, in these areas. MCPA is a selective herbicide specifically designed to kill weeds without harming crops and is a common ingredient in both agricultural and domestic herbicide products. To read more click here.