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Catchment Management – A Sustainable Solution for Water Companies?
Dr. Jodie Whitehead
Catchment Manager, Severn Trent Water
Water and the Green Economy
8th November 2013
Overview
− Why catchment management?
− Where are we undertaking catchment management?
Identifying and Managing Water Quality Risks in the Catchment
− Assessing the risk
− Identifying appropriate mitigation options
− The benefits of catchment management
The Challenge Ahead
− Product substitution
− Tools and new approaches
− Policy
2 Water and the Green Economy , 8th November 2013
An overview of catchment management in Severn Trent Water
Why Catchment Management?
• Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations
− Risk Assessment Requirement – Drinking Water Safety Plans (DWSP)
− Monitoring Requirements – obligation to monitor those pesticides identified through DWSP as likely to be present in source water
− Wholesome Standards - single pesticide 0.1 ug/l, total pesticides 0.5 ug/l
• Article 7 of Water Framework Directive
• National Environment Program (NEP)
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Main regulatory drivers
Where are we doing Catchment Management?
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Combination of investigations and schemes
• Catchment investigation
areas cover a large area
of our region
• 12 surface water works
catchments
• 37 groundwater
catchments
• Average demand 1826
Ml/d
• Population 7,673,605
• In the larger catchments
we are seeking smaller
target areas for potential
measures.
• The 9 metaldehyde
undertakings are to be
delivered by March 2015
Catchment Pressures
• Nutrients
• Pesticides
• Colour
• Industrial pollution risk
• Nitrate
• Pesticides
• Solvents
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Surface water catchments Groundwater catchments
Metaldehyde
Identifying and Managing Water Quality Risks in the Catchment
Remote Sensing and Hotspot Identification
• Previous hotspot identification based on water quality data and historic land
use
• Remote sensing has provided recent field by field cropping data
• Over lay additional risk factors (soil type, field slope, proximity to water) to
identify hotspots
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Using satellite imagery to highlight high risk areas
Options for Managing Risks to Water Quality
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Modelling the impact and cost of mitigation options
Large increase
No change
Low decrease
Moderate decrease
Large decrease
Scenario 20m Buffers
No
Metaldehyde
to Winter OSR
No
Metaldehyde to
Winter Wheat
Spring Cropping
(replace WOSR with
SOSR)
Winter Field
beans (in place
of WOSR)
Minimal effect on
drainflow losses
Metaldehyde still
applied to winter
wheat
Metaldehyde still
applied to WOSR
Yield, price and cultivation
concerns; metaldehyde still
applied to SOSR but later
Concerns over
increased carbetamide
losses
Carbetamide n/a n/a
Clopyralid n/a n/a
Metaldehyde
Propyzamide n/a n/a
Product substitution most effective mitigation
option for metaldehyde
Partnership Working, Cooperative Farming and Grants
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50% reduction in pesticide peaks
A 50% Reduction in Metaldehyde Exceedances through Catchment Management
• In 2008 51% of samples
were greater than PCV
• In 2012 only 26% of samples
were greater than PCV
• This is despite
− Increased water quality
monitoring during high risk
periods
− Largest slug populations in
over 10 years
− Wettest weather since 2007
− Similar amounts of
metaldehyde being sold in
both years
− Lack of availability of
alternative products in 2012
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The number of metaldehyde exceedances in 2012 were half the number seen in 2008. 2012 could have been a lot worse without CM
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
% o
f S
am
ple
s >
PC
V
Water Treatment Works
2008 2012
Catchment Management can be Cost Beneficial
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Draft CBA results shows that for
every £1 we will spend in
catchments we will avoid £2.00 -
£20.00 in treatment costs
Catchment management is a
sustainable and environmentally
friendly option with environmental
benefits, on average equal to £4.00
for every £1 spent
0
5
10
15
20
25
CBA for Metaldehyde Substitution vs PAC
STW Cost Benefit Ratio STW Catchment Spend
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
Overall Cost Benefit Ration for Pesticide Schemes
Environmental Benefit (£) STW Cost (£)
The Challenge Ahead
Product Substitution
Challenges include:
• Avoiding pollution swapping
• Convincing farmers of efficacy of alternative products
• Availability of the products
• Who pays if it is more expensive
• How to implement the change in behaviour and logistics
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Some catchments are so high risk that extensive product substitution is needed
Metaldehyde Free Catchment Trial
Farmers offered subsidies to use an alternative product (Ferric Phosphate) and an involvement payment for time and feedback
− Requires all farmers in the catchment to be involved
− Introductory meeting and 1-1 visits
− Monitoring points throughout the catchment
− Agronomists are key
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Supporting the use of alternative products
Price difference
£500 involvement
payment
Total payment
Farmers as Producers of Clean Water Trial
• Farmers are rewarded for producing clean run-off from their land
• Participants paid according to improvements in water quality
• Monitoring points throughout the catchment
• Requires farmers in the catchment to work together
• Mitigation and control catchment
• 3 tier incentivatisation system
• All farmers have signed up following 1-1 visits and catchment meeting
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Rewarding farmers for clean run-off
£100
Bonus
Improvement
Payment aligned to water quality results and amount of run
off from farm
Involvement £500
For your time and feedback
The three tier
payment
structure
Tools and New Approaches
Actions that would help include:
• Better weather forecasts
• Live intelligence on pesticide
use in catchments from
farmers/agronomists,
• Further improvements to
pesticide management
• Intake management where
viable.
Challenges include:
• Development of the tools to
allow “real time” data exchange,
• Obtaining buy in from catchment
stakeholders and national
bodies.
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For some products there are no alternatives, here other measure need to be considered and these will vary depending on the character of the catchment
Pesticide Early Warning Tool
• Online survey allowing key farmers and agronomists to input details of pesticide
applications/recommendations
• Offers early warning that if rain follows, pesticide peaks may be observed
• To be reviewed in conjunction with water quality data and feasibility of temporarily
turning intakes off to allow peaks to pass
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Working with farmers and agronomists to develop a pesticide early warning tool
Policy
Questions include:
• Who pays and how is this secured?
• When do we determine if voluntary approaches are not working?
• Where is the role of regulation?
• Is there helpful regulation that allows manufactures to invest in
alternative products?
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Clarity around government policy
Summary
• Our work has shown catchment management can be cost beneficial
• Our proposed catchment schemes will potentially in the long term
deliver better water quality and lower treatment costs
• PR14 consultation and research to date has shown that our
customers and stakeholders strongly support greater catchment
management and partnership working
• Catchment management will help to bring about wider environmental
benefits
• Collaborative and co-ordinated partnership working is key to the
success of catchment management
• Our catchment schemes are based on voluntary uptake of mitigation
options and engagement. This requires everyone to understand their
responsibilities and take appropriate action
19 Water and the Green Economy , 8th November 2013
Thank you