Farmland management
Meet Tom and Andrew
Watch this video to find out more about the work that we do with farmers and land owners.
Catchment Systems Thinking, also known as CaST, is an approach to the management of the wider environment - this means looking at the region in a joined-up, holistic manner and identifying the impact that our activities have on more than just the water.
United Utilities applies a Catchment Systems Thinking approach to working with farmers and land managers to improve the water environment for everyone. Doing this allows us to look at catchments holistically and engage wider partners and stakeholders to work collaboratively to improve water environments. We don’t just consider the water quality at the end of the line, we think about everyone, every entity, and every habitat who interact with it!
We work with farmers to look at the wider environment and the water course through the use of farm interventions. For example, buffer zones to prevent surface runoff, the implementation of fences to limit direct animal access to watercourses, and much more! We encourage changes in behaviours and practices by engaging with farmers and land owners through workshops, seminars, and one to one site visits.
Through this collaboration and engagement we are understanding how good farming practices can benefit water quality including, for example, avoiding the application of manure and fertilisers prior to periods of particularly heavy rainfall, using innovative soil analysis to only apply the right amount of nutrients the crop needs at that time, and utilising herbicide application techniques such as weed wipers that almost eliminate any risk to water. We are constantly learning from farmers and land owners on how we can better understand the role United Utilities can play to support farming practices.
It’s our role to actively promote sustainability when it creates the most appropriate economic and environmental outputs.
How we are working with the farming community, in partnership and collaboration, to deliver interventions on farm land to enhance water quality?
Across the North West, we have many partnerships with farmers and land owners. Below are just a few examples of these partnerships and also some of the farm interventions we have put in place.
Calthwaite wastewater treatment works
At Calthwaite wastewater treatment works, we wanted to introduce additional measures and innovative approaches within the environment to improve the water quality at source. Working in partnership with the Environment Agency and farmers in Calthwaite, to the south of Carlisle, we were able to do this.
The farm interventions put in place included, the installation of fencing along Calthwaite Beck and a tributary to keep cattle away from the streams. Also, improvement work around slurry stores and feeding yards to prevent runoff of contaminated water to the streams. Without this harmful contaminated water aquatic life can thrive as it should.
Using the natural environment and farm interventions to improve water quality helps us to deliver combined solutions with enhanced treatment at the wastewater treatment works and has proved to be a successful way of, not just meeting, but actually outperforming the Environment Agency’s targets in the most sustainable and cost effective manner.
Water Friendly Farming in the Upper Weaver Catchment
Working in partnership, the Mersey Rivers Trust, Severn Rivers Trust and United Utilities used funding from the Water Environment Grant to help protect and improve the water quality in the Upper Weaver, Cheshire.
Six sub catchments in this area were chosen due to their moderate to poor Water Framework Directive status. Farms in the catchments were provided with free advice, water quality management plans and small grants to implement the water quality improvement measures identified in the plans.
The farm interventions put in place included the installation of fencing to prevent livestock entering water courses, providing livestock with drinking sources alternative to the watercourse in order to reduce bank erosion, runoff and water pollution from faecal contamination, tree and hedge planting to reduce soil erosion and create wildlife corridors as well as soil management such as aeration, sward lifting, arable subsoiling and the provision of winter crops to ensure that the more productive soil remains in fields reducing runoff soil erosion and water pollution.
More information on the Upper Weaver Farm Project can be found here.
Miscanthus
Miscanthus is a tall, hardy grass from Asia, which is grown agriculturally to produce biomass for energy production. It’s well known for its long life span, and for producing high yields with low fertiliser and pesticide inputs.
Compared to conventional crops, miscanthus is only planted once, when they are seeded. So from the second year there is no annual cycle of ploughing, harrowing, rolling or planting, all of which release nutrients from the soil, damaging the soil structure and its ability to withstand intense dry and wet periods. Without all this additional farming, the nutrients remain where they should - improving the crop and maintaining water quality in surrounding streams. What’s more, miscanthus have very low fertiliser needs, so carbon heavy inorganic fertilisers are not required, which means less fertilisers are washed into our waterways, further protecting them.
We have established a trial growing miscanthus on a farm in Cheshire to assess the economic viability for other farms, along with its impact on water quality. After the first year, the results are really positive, and we are looking forward to taking local farmers around the trial at different stages in its growth and harvesting for them to see the miscanthus in action.
