11. Farming 4 Clean Water
Aims: Involve people with their local waterbodies; Improve wildlife corridors; Improve water quality; Work together
Water body: Mimmshall Brook
Project description
Affinity Water are working with farmers and landowners in the Mimmshall Brook and Upper River Colne to prevent losses of certain pesticides and sediment loss into water courses.
Aim: Improve water quality and reduce sediment runoff
Affinity Water abstracts groundwater in this area which is characterised by the presence of swallow holes. These geological features can act as rapid pathways from surface water to groundwater and therefore targeted catchment measures are vital to ensure that water treatment processes are not put at risk after heavy rainfall events.
Affinity Water’s catchment team are working in partnership with farmers and landowners to learn more about soil health and promote practices such as overwinter cover cropping, companion cropping and the inclusion of more spring crops in rotations to reduce the risk of certain pesticides getting into water courses. Regenerative agricultural practices such as cover and companion cropping help keep soil covered and their roots provide structure which reduce pesticide and sediment runoff into water courses during heavy rainfall.
The Farming 4 Clean Water scheme is delivered through the EnTrade online environmental trading platform which offers an innovative way in which farmers can bid for funding to amend their rotations close to water courses and the platform allows for funding to be targeted in the most cost effective and beneficial way for the environment. The scheme has demonstrated the value of working in partnership with the local farming community to target measures which improve soils and create more resilient catchments. Participants of this scheme have shown their willingness to be stewards of the local environment and protect water supplies to ensure Affinity Water can supply high quality drinking water which customers can trust.
Project lead: Affinity Water
Project partners: Environment Agency, Local farmers and agronomists, EnTrade
Contact for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Project start: March 2020
Project end: Ongoing
Funding source: Affinity Water
