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

5 Water and the Green Economy , 8th November 2013

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

10 Water and the Green Economy , 8th November 2013

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

11 Water and the Green Economy , 8th November 2013

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

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Thank you