Protecting water
Water abstraction and impoundment
- If you want to abstract or impound water from a borehole, a spring, a burn, a stream, a river or loch/lough you may need authorisation from the NIEA or SEPA.
- NetRegs: Water abstraction or impoundment
Dredging
- In northern Ireland: contact the Rivers offices for information about dredging of waterways.
- In Scotland: read the guidance from SEPA on any works in or near water.
- Northern Ireland: Contact the DfI Rivers offices
- SEPA: Dredging, a land managers guide
- SEPA: Dredging a straightened river between 1 and 5 metres wide
Bank management
- Protect riverbanks from erosion and stabilise existing riverbanks using best practice techniques.
- SEPA: Engineering in the water environment
- SEPA: Sustainable riverbank protection
- SEPA: Reducing riverbank erosion - best practice guide
Works in or near water
- Working in or near water can cause damage to the bed or banks, can cause problems with silt in the watercourse and can transfer non-native species.
- GPP 5: Works and maintenance in or near water
Poaching and bank erosion
- Know the rules that prevent significant poaching
- Position livestock feeders at least 10m from water
- Fence areas to prevent animals accessing watercourses
- Northern Ireland: Cross compliance and verifiable standards
- Farming and Water Scotland: Poaching and erosion
Steading drainage
- Runoff from around the steading must not cause pollution. Collect and store drainage contaminated with manure or slurry
- Lightly contaminated drainage can be treated with constructed farm wetlands or other sustainable drainage systems.
Northern Ireland: Good agricultural practice -air, soil and water
Farming and Water Scotland: Steading drainage
Constructed farm wetlands: design manual for Scotland and Northern Ireland
Septic tanks, biodiscs for sewage treatment
- Check if your building has a septic tank or other treatment system
- Is it in proper working order, e.g.are there odours, or does the wastewater drain very slowly?
- Make sure you know what can and can’t go into the tank
- Is it emptied regularly?
NetRegs: Septic tanks e-learning course.
The use of buffer strips
- Buffer strips prevent the loss of soil to ditches, burns , rivers etc. and help prevent pollution from fertiliser and pesticide runoff.
Northern Ireland: Cross compliance and verifiable standards
Farming and Water Scotland: Diffuse pollution
Spreading fertilisers
- Make sure when you apply fertilisers that the nutrients will remain on your farm where needed.
- Be aware of weather conditions, soil conditions and know the rules for spreading near water.
- Maintain your spreading equipment and make sure it is properly calibrated.
DAERA: Nitrogen fertiliser options
DEARA: Use of organic fertilisers and soil improvers
Farming and Water Scotland: Slurry and manure
Farming and Water Scotland: Inorganic fertilisers
Pesticides and water
- Pesticide users must have a certificate of competence, or work under the supervision of someone who has.
- The storage and handling of pesticides must be done in a way that prevents the risk of pollution.
- Know the rules for spraying pesticides near water, and take care washing down equipment.
DAERA: guidance on the use of pesticides
Farming and Water Scotland: Using pesticides
Farming and Water Scotland: Purchase and storage of pesticides
Soil and cultivation
- Soils are an essential resource: check that you are not damaging soil eg by compaction and that soils are not being washed off your land.
DAERA: Soil structure and avoiding compaction
DAERA: Valuable soils need protection
Farming and Water Scotland: Soil and cultivation