Help and advice for the agriculture sector

WaterSource

Supplying safe drinking water at all times is our most important responsibility. We draw this water from rivers, reservoirs and groundwaters and the areas surrounding these watercourses are called catchments. You can see a map of our catchments here.

By making sure our raw water is of the highest quality possible, we can avoid using additional chemicals and energy to turn it into drinking water for our customers. This helps us keep bills as low, as possible, safeguard the environment and protect our drinking water sources for years to come.

Effective catchment management is our first line of defence in safeguarding drinking water quality.

We know raw water quality is affected by activities that take place on the land around our drinking water sources. As we own very little of the land around these rivers, reservoirs and groundwaters, we work with land managers and partners through our WaterSource approach.

WaterSource is how we look after the land around our rivers, reservoirs and groundwaters to protect our drinking water for generations to come. By working in partnership with others, we can make sure the water that reaches our water treatment works is of an expected, consistent and manageable quality.

We have strong working partnerships with Beacons Water Group and Wales YFC and we are working with farmers and farming groups across Wales to find win win solutions to common issues.

If you’d like to find out more about WaterSource click here and to read about what the farmers who work with us have to say, click here.

If you live in a catchment and would like to work with us, please email watersource@dwrcymru.com.

Biosolids from our wastewater treatment processes

Biosolids are the final treated product of wastewater treatment processes. They are also a cost effective and sustainable fertiliser, providing a valuable source of nutrients and organic matter for agricultural land.

We provide a full service, including soil sampling, to assess land suitability and ongoing support and guidance to ensure efficient utilisation of nutrients. If you’d like to find out more, visit our biosolids page.

Encouraging behaviour change

We know that many agricultural businesses are family businesses, often with a family home on the premises.

If you want to educate your family on water saving tips you can view a variety of our posters here.

Likewise, if you want to educate your family around not flushing items other than the 3 Ps – pee, poo and paper – down the toilet, then you can also find information here about helping to prevent drainage problems on your land.

Finding leaks

With many acres of land, you’ll likely have a fair amount of pipes getting water around your site, which makes you susceptible to leaks over time.

It’s good practice to take opportunities when the farm is quieter – perhaps overnight - to scrutinise water meter readings and identify any leaks. Read our how to guide here on how to test for a leak on your land.

If you suspect you have a leak but are struggling to locate it due to your extensive pipework, then you can install isolation valves throughout your land to narrow down leaks into specific zones. This doesn’t cost as much as you might think and results in a great return on investment if it saves you time searching for a costly leak.

Wrapping up for winter

With farms, there’s often a lot of external pipework, so it’s a good idea to lag your pipes for the winter period to protect any pipework from freezing and bursting. If you have a burst pipe over the winter period, the leak could cause a lot of damage.

If certain parts of your site aren’t used during the winter, consider installing stop taps to these areas so the supplies can be isolated. Find out more about how to prepare your site for winter here.

Taking advantage of data logging

If you have multiple sites or have difficulty accessing your water meter to read it regularly, it can be really tricky to manage your water consumption.

The answer could be data logging. Water monitoring equipment is connected to the water meter, and you can easily see the analysis of your usage online. You’ll be able to track your water use at a glance, enabling you to spot any potential problems such as leaks and deal with them quickly and efficiently. Find out more about our data logging service here.

Water saving tips

It’s good practice to make sure taps are switched off around the premises when not in use and water troughs are not overflowing.

To reduce or effectively manage your water consumption, we’ve put together some generic water saving tips that just might help. See more here.