Catchment management programme

Reducing the following at 22 drinking water sources:• Metaldehyde (active ingredient in slug pellets)• Pesticides• NitratesAn ambitious and pioneering programme, including both groundwater and surface water catchments across the whole of Severn Trent’s region.

Engagement with Farmers

The “change diagram” shows how engagement with farmers is anticipated to lead to changes in farm management, reduced concentrations of metaldehyde,pesticides and nitrates in rivers and groundwater and in the long term reduced treatment costs for Severn Trent and improved water quality for habitats and recreation sites.

BackgroundDuring AMP5 Severn Trent successfully delivered one of the largest programmes of catchment management investigations in the UK water industry at a cost of £1.8M.In AMP6 Severn Trent increased activity to 27 full-scale catchment management schemes. This programme represented a substantial additional investment and was strongly supported by stakeholders.

The ProjectAs part of Severn Trent’s PR19 work, the effectiveness of the AMP6 catchment management schemes need to be evaluated to see if:• the benefits assumed in AMP5 still apply, and the programme is on track to meet

these,• the schemes should be carried on into AMP7 and what improvements can be

made, and• whether the costs of the schemes need to be increased or decreased and what the

balance of cost/ benefit would now be.This included focusing on the catchments to 22 drinking water sources i.e. those with regulatory obligations (Environment Agency National Environment Programme and/or DWI Metaldehyde Undertaking).

Objectives

1. Evaluate AMP6 programme schemes in terms of effectiveness in delivering environmental, operational and financial benefits.

2. Recommend improvements to AMP6 catchment management schemes and Outcome Delivery Incentive for implementation in AMP7.

Completed in 2016

Evaluation of Catchment Management and Lessons for

Policy, Practice and InvestmentPaul Hulme (ESI, now Stantec), Katherine Filby and Jodie Rettino (Severn Trent Water Limited)

The River Restoration Centre 19th Annual Network Conference

Conclusions

After 20 months of a 25-year programme:• farmers on 30% of priority farms have been engaged by

Severn Trent’s representatives in a positive way, • 80% of these (24% of target farms) confirmed better

knowledge of water quality issues in the catchment,• Severn Trent also influenced many farms to change their

operations for the benefit of water quality: • 19% of metaldehyde target farms participating in a

metaldehyde reduction scheme, • 7% taken up grants for infrastructure improvement,

with farmers contributing approx. 50% of cost.

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Key focus• delivering metaldehyde product substitution schemes;• a grant scheme for environmental improvement; and• additional catchment based activities on the ground.The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has supported the metaldehyde programme and recognises it as industry leading.

Surface water catchment example – the Staunton Harold reservoir (Melbourne, Leicestershire)

• 42 target farms • Ahead of target for all three measures of engagement • 11 metaldehyde target farms• 8 farms (72%) signed up for product (metaldehyde)

substitution ahead of target (3 expected by 1 Dec 2016)

Catchment AssessmentIndividual catchments were assessed against targets for: • farmer engagement,• positive engagement,• improved knowledge,• changes in farm practice via farmers signing up for product

(metaldehyde) substitution and Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme (STEPS) farm infrastructure grants.

Changes in behaviourOther components of the scheme which indicate changes in behaviour include: • farmers’ participation in pesticide amnesties, • pesticide training and equipment testing.

Engagement progress funnel – Melbourne

Total priority farms

Metaldehyde priority farms

Engaged

Positive engagement

Improved knowledge

Product substitution

STEPS grant paid

-50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50

Progress as of 1 Dec 2016

Target by 1 Dec 2016

Target by 31 Mar 2019

Target based on total number of priority farms

Target based on number of metaldehyde

priority farms

Engagement: Melbourne WTW

Groundwater sources where nitrate is an issue

Interim result

End goal

Action

Key:

Limit of Severn Trent’s responsibility

Treatment costs $

Improved habitats and

recreations sites

Engage with farmers*

Nitrate use $

Nitrate in soil $

Use of pesticides $

Pollutants in GW $

Pollutants in river $

Farmers sign up to schemes

Metaldehyde use $

Raw WQ improves

Flow of how engagement may influence change

* Three stages • Engagement • Positive engagement • Improved knowledge

Contributes to

Expectation after 20 months

Water quality assessmentData collated and reviewed, but, as anticipated, after only 20 months, there are insufficient data to make confident assertions about impacts on water quality. At least 10 years of monitoring data is needed to see water quality change because of natural variations in weather and farming practice. This points to the need for a commitment to long term monitoring, and an annual assessment of both farmer engagement and the success of actions on the ground.