Local management and collaboration reduces pesticide residues in
water
The challenge of reducing the levels of pesticides in watercourses is best met
by partnerships between farmers, advisers, water companies and regulators on
a catchment-by-catchment basis, but further work is needed to consistently hit
targets, according to a new report.
An interim report on the Water Catchment Protection Project – part of the Voluntary
Initiative – highlights how there have been reductions of up to 60% in the levels of
pesticides detected in watercourses in some of the six catchments in the pilot project.
However, it also reports significant exceedances during last years very wet autumn
and points to the need for a much improved understanding of all the complex
interactions between weather patterns, soil conditions and spray application.
“What is clear is that there is much to be gained by working on a catchment basis
and involving all the stakeholders, communicating regularly and sharing best
practice,” says Patrick Goldsworthy, Voluntary Initiative Manager. “The water
industry, working in partnership with farmer groups, and advisers have certainly
made progress.
“However, there are no instant solutions. It can take at least 15 months for
improvements to become apparent and we are still learning so we are urging all
involved to persevere.”
Communications ranged from training sessions for farmers and advisors to e-mail
and SMS text message alerts to warn when conditions in an area could lead to
pesticides finding their way into watercourses.
Jacob Tompkins of Water UK agreed that good progress had been made but
emphasised that there was still much to do. “The water industry is very keen to see
this initiative deliver and we have seen some very positive signs, but time is pressing
and we are looking for more evidence over the long-term to underpin the good
progress to date”.
“The key to long term success in reducing pesticide levels in raw water is to ensure
that all pesticide users understand the importance of risk-based crop protection and
how factors like weather patterns and soil types can affect their local catchment”. He
added that “Adoption of such measures should be integrated with other initiatives
such as that on Catchment Sensitive Farming, and development of Catchment
Management Plans as part of the Water Framework Directive”
To date, progress has been sufficiently encouraging for the scheme to be extended.
This autumn will see another four catchment areas added to the pilot Project. There
will also be a new package of measures introduced to help address more effectively
the dramatic increase in pollution risks in wet weather and the need for better
management strategies during high risk periods without seriously impairing good
farming practice.
Ends
Notes for editors:
For further information please contact:
Mr Patrick Goldsworthy, Voluntary Initiative Manager, Crop Protection Association
01733 294 219
07711 416 312
patrick.g@cropprotection.org.uk
Mr Peter Sanguinetti, Chief Executive, Crop Protection Association
01733 294 228
peter.s@cropprotection.org.uk
Nick Humphrey, Project Manager, Water Catchment Protection Project
Nick.Humphrey@virgin.net, 029 2070 3008
Water UK contacts
Jacob Tompkins, jtompkins@water.org.uk, 020 7344 1817
Barrie Clarke, bclarke@water.org.uk, 020 7344 1804
Bob Breach, bob.breach@btinternet.com, 0121 705 8385
The Voluntary Initiative is a programme of measures, agreed by Government, to minimise the
environmental impacts of pesticides. The signatories to the Voluntary Initiative are the National
Farmers Union, NFU Scotland, the Country Land and Business Association, the Ulster Farmers Union,
the Crop Protection Association, the National Association of Agricultural Contractors, the Agricultural
Engineers Association and the Agricultural Industries Confederation.
Further information on the Voluntary Initiative can be found at www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk
The Water Catchment Protection Project is a collaboration between the crop protection and farming
industries and the water industry and funded by crop protection association
N ass and UKWIR.
The six pilot catchments were chosen to cover a wide range of water resource conditions and
catchment sizes, with a historical record of pesticide residues in the water. In most cases it has proved
possible to identify the underlying causes of residues and devise better practice. The pilot water
catchment protection areas included
1. Ingbirchworth, Yorkshire – upland reservoir surface water catchment with an area of 8 km 2.
Land use is mainly grassland, both for grazing and silage, with 32 farms in the catchment
2. River Blythe, South Staffordshire – a surface water catchment of 150 km 2 with the abstraction
poin at Blithfield Reservoir, near Abbots Bromley, with 470 farms in the catchment
3. River Leam, Warwickshire – a surface water river catchment with an area 373 km 2. The land
use is mixed farming with both arable and grassland plus some amentity use with 730 farms in
the catchment
4. River Ugie, NE Scotland – a surface water river catchment with an area 155 km 2. The two
tributaries, the North and South Ugie, flow through predominantly lowland mixed farmland and
there are 277 farms within the catchment. The water is abstracted close to the coast at
Balmoor, Peterhead where there is a raw water reservoir holding about three days storage.
5. Boston Park, South Yorkshire - a groundwater catchment of 40 km 2 with water abstracted
from a Triassic Sherwood sandstone aquifer. The catchment area has 61 farms composed of
mixed farming and small holdings.
6. Upper Cherwell, Oxfordshire/Northamptonshire – a surface water river catchment with an area
of 199 km2 on predominantly clay soils. The land use in the catchment is principally mixed
farming, arable and grassland, plus some amenity use with 306 farms in the catchment.
Issued by
Geoff Dodgson, Chamberlain
geoff.dodgson@chamberlain.uk.com
01733 231133
m: 07710 379561
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