Managing land and our water catchments

Managing land and our water catchments across our region to protect river health and water quality.

Managing land and our water catchments across our region to protect river health and water quality

How agricultural land in our catchments is managed is one of the key determinants of our region’s biodiversity and ecosystem health, not only on land but also under water.

While sewer overflows and pressure from built-up areas have an impact on water quality, currently 36% of pollution across England can be attributed to agricultural and rural management, therefore making it the largest single contributor to the failure to meet the government’s targets for good ecological status in rivers.

Keeping water wonderful

Catchments can vary greatly in size and depending upon where they are can include mountains, farmland, cities and towns.

All of these, in particular human activity, can affect how the water flows through the area as well as the quality of the water.  

Activities that impact on water quality include:

  • Organic wastes
  • Agriculture
  • ndustry
  • Recreation
  • Mining operations 

These activities can cause small amounts of pollutants to be washed into water across a wide area and whilst on their own they are relatively minor, once they collect together they can significantly affect the quality of the water.

These pollutants can include pesticides and fertilisers from farms and oil and chemicals from cars and roads as well as from industry and business.

Which is why we carefully manage our catchments to reduce the impact that we have on the water we use so you get the best tasting water from your tap every day.

Tackling pollutants where they happen is the most sustainable and cost efficient way to ensure we achieve this. It means when the water reaches our treatment works, we not only save money on treating it but it also avoids generating greenhouse gas emissions from the treatment processes. 

We treat every catchment we work in individually and our dedicated team work hard to develop a unique approach for each one.. We have developed a range of tools which take account of the different pressures on water quality, and differing land management techniques and which help us to deliver wonderful water in the most sustainable way possible.

It is in our interests as a water company to improve this. We estimate that for every £1 we spend to reduce runoff of phosphates, nitrates, and other agricultural chemicals through our catchment management programmes, we avoid £2 - £20 of treatment costs and generate £4 of wider environmental benefits. Through our work in the agricultural sector we have been able to negate the need for £74 million of investment in our treatment processes.

Get River Positive

We’re passionate about making a positive impact on the communities and the environment where we live and work.

So, it makes sense for us to take a leading role in not only protecting them, but also going beyond that and enhancing them too.

Get River Positive is our five pledges to take a leading role in ensuring that our region’s rivers are as healthy as possible.​